Echoes of Grace: 1985

Two-year-old Windie didn't intend to get lost. She just started out to follow the older children into the woods near her home, but two-year-old legs are pretty short. Unable to keep up with the others, she trudged along contentedly behind them.

Further and further ahead hiked the children, and at last they were completely out of sight. Still Windie followed in the way she thought they had gone. At last even their voices died away in the distance, and the silence was broken only by the occasional call of a bird, the chatter of a squirrel in the trees, or mysterious rustlings and scurrying in the underbrush. Windie trudged on, cold and tired, but still hoping to catch up with the others. Night was beginning to catch up with her, and she was shivering in her thin little shirt. It was really dark now, and mosquitoes and night insects began to swarm. She couldn't see the path any longer, and vines and bushes scratched and tore her bare little feet. Windie was thoroughly lost and frightened, but still in the dark woods she went on—and on—and on. At home there was panic. Her mother and father were out searching the neighborhood; then the neighbors joined them. Soon the sheriff's office was called, and every one available was out looking for the missing toddler.

There were lights flashing in the dark woods, and voices calling "Windie! Windie! Over it all sounded the drone of a helicopter circling with its big spotlight.

The hours passed so slowly. Nine—ten—eleven o'clock and still no little girl. Midnight came, and the sheriff realized that his men were not only dead tired, but would have to be on duty again in the morning. He called off the search for a while to let them get some sleep.

The helicopter too was having difficulties. A ground fog its light could not pierce made it useless, and its crew had to quit.

And the little girl was still lost.

Two men could not bear to give up the search. Joe Bernadini and Larry Lee thought of their own children, safe and snug at home in their beds, and back they went into the dark woods. Lee said, "I have three babies at home. If you have three babies at home, you know why I went back to look for her!"

More hours passed. Once their flashlight beam caught a rattlesnake slithering away from the light, then two water moccasins. Now they were searching the edges of a swamp. Right and left the light flashed, and—what was that? Something caught in the light—a little figure, a tousle of brown hair— Windie! Sound asleep, nestled in the crook of a log, Windie was found.

Gently they lifted her, cold and wet and muddy, wrapped her in their jackets, and carried her back to her mother's waiting arms. Oh, what joy in that home!

Remember the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15? The shepherd who lost one sheep in the wilderness and went out searching until he found it?

When he had found it, he carried it home, rejoicing. At home, he called his friends and neighbors and said, "Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." That was how Windie's parents and neighbors felt.

Have you ever felt like Windie, lost and miserable and not knowing which way to turn in the darkness? There is One who is searching for you, One who wants so much to lift you up out of the dark and dangerous wilderness of this world and carry you, rejoicing, safe to His home.

The lost sheep had to wait to be found; Windie could not send her parents a message: "Here I am in the swamp," but you can say, right now: "Lord Jesus, I want to be found. I want to come home."

Will He do it? Will He save you? Oh, try and see! He says, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."

Do you think that Windie said, "Please leave me here—I'll find my own way home"? Silly thought, isn't it? But are you saying to the seeking Savior, "Leave me alone—I'll find my own way, and in my own time"?

Don't do it! Let Him find you NOW. It is the only time you can be sure of. It doesn't matter how far away you may have wandered: "He is able to save to the uttermost."

And who was happiest, Windie or her mother and father? The parents rejoiced, their neighbors rejoiced with them, and the Lord Jesus will say, "Rejoice with Me, for I have found My sheep which was lost."

And more than that: "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:7. Wouldn't it be wonderful to know that there was joy in heaven—over you?

The Immeasurability of Creation

"About the time of the invention of the telescope, another instrument was formed," says Chalmers, "which laid open a scene no less wonderful, and rewarded the inquisitive spirit of man. This was the microscope.

"The one gave me to see a system in every star. The other leads me to see a world in every atom.

"The one taught me that this mighty globe, with the whole burden of its people and its countries, is but a grain of sand on the high field of immensity. The other teaches me that every grain of sand may harbor... the tribes and the families of a busy population.

"The one told me of the insignificance of this world I tread upon. The other redeems it from all its insignificance, for it tells me that in all the leaves of every forest and in the flowers of every garden there are worlds teeming with life and as numberless as are the glories of the firmament.

"The one has suggested to me that beyond and above all that is visible to man there may be fields of creation which sweep immensely along and carry the impress of the Almighty's hand to the remotest scenes of the universe.

"The other suggests that within and beneath all that minuteness, which the aided eye of man has been able to explore, there may be a region of invisibles, and that, could we draw aside the mysterious curtain which shrouds it from our senses, we might see a theater of as many wonders as astronomy has unfolded; we might discover a universe within the compass of a point so small as to elude all the powers of the microscope, but where the wonder-working God finds room for the exercise of all His attributes, and where He can raise another mechanism of worlds, and fill and animate them all with the evidence of His glory."

"Lo, these are parts of His ways; but how little a portion is heard of Him? but the thunder of His power who can understand?" Job 26:14.

"And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28.

But if you turn away from and reject the wonderful offer of mercy of His Son, Jesus Christ, then what must your end be? His judgment, awful and eternal, awaits all who refuse Him!

God, being holy, must punish sin, but we see the heart of this God of all creation revealed in the following verses: "But now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb. 9:26-28.

That is, He would bear the sins of all who believe and receive His offer of salvation. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

Weather Report

Now that you are basking in the warmth of a summer day, do you remember what the weather was like in January? Can you recall some of the forecasts you heard then?

"Chicago hits a new low of -27 degrees." "Buffalo, New York, digs out from under another major snowstorm." "Northern Utah sets a record low of -67 degrees." "Florida's citrus growers hit by severe freeze." "Inaugural parade canceled due to cold." "Phoenix, Arizona, gets first snow in nine years." On and on it went. Major portions of the United States seemed to be suffering under the onslaught of bitter cold and snow.

What was your reaction to all these forecasts? Probably you, like most of the rest of us, wanted to know how long it was going to last. We were all relieved to have the forecaster tell us that the weather would moderate by Wednesday, or that the snow would not accumulate more than two inches. At the very worst we knew that by March the cold and snow would be disappearing and we could look forward to spring.

The same is true of almost any unpleasant situation in which we may become involved. We can stand the cold, the pain, the discomfort, if only we know when it will end.

But you know, friend, there is one situation you are going to experience that will have no end in sight. You possess a soul that will never die, and that soul will spend a never-ending eternity either with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, or with Satan and his angels in the lake of fire.

Here on earth, no matter what pain you experience, there is an end in sight. You may grip the arms of the chair tightly and wince in pain as the dentist drills into your tooth, but you know the pain lasts only a few minutes. Even the most severe pain will usually yield to medication, but the torment of an eternity in the lake of fire has no end in view. Five minutes, five hours or five thousand years are all meaningless in eternity.

You prepare for a cold winter by putting on the storm windows and getting out your heavy coat. Have you prepared for eternity? The Lord Jesus invites you to come to Him today and have your sins forgiven. "Come unto Me," He says lovingly, "and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. "The blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John 1:9.

Won't you accept Him today? Then you will be ready to spend a never-ending eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.

The High-Water Mark

Many who have watched the rise and fall Of a tidal river have been impressed with the remarkable illustration it gives of man's life.

At the beginning of the tide only a slight ripple is seen to break on the bank; then gradually the water rises until, gaining in swiftness, it climbs the steep slopes as though there could be no limit set to that advancing flood.

The high-water mark is reached, and immediately the retreat begins. The waters decrease, with gradually diminishing force, until at last the original level is reached—the tide is out.

If you have not already passed it, you soon will reach the high-water mark of your life. The height of your pleasures, the summit of your ambition, will have come and gone.

To your disappointment, you will find that no power on earth can sustain the freshness and intensity of interest that you once found in life.

Then as the world recedes you will prove that it has not satisfied you; it has not filled the emptiness in your heart, for even the world's best is not enough. Across its streams of pleasure the Son of God has written, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again." John 4:13.

But why pass through that bitter experience? Why not face the matter now? Do not let your life be a wasted, disappointed one. Turn from the unsatisfying pleasures of this world to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is longing to save your soul and satisfy your heart.

God's world-wide invitation is still being given, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17. For those who respond to it there is a life which has no ebb tide, a joy that is as pure as it is unending.

The moment is very near when every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will reach the high-water mark of his eternal stream of bliss—to be forever with the Lord, forever conformed to His image. There will be no subsiding of that joy, no diminishing of the blessing that flows from Him. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." John 4:14.

Until the realization of that sure and certain hope, the Christian's path is "as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Even though the outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day, so that instead of joyless, declining years full of disappointment and regret, the believer can increasingly "rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

You Need a New Heart

A South African surgeon, Dr. Christiaan Barnard, performed the first heart transplant operation on Louis Washansky, a middle-aged grocer. Although Washansky needed a new heart desperately, his body rejected it, and he died eighteen days after the operation.

Dr. J.C. Callaghan, another celebrated heart surgeon, disapproved of such surgery at the time (Globe and Mail, Toronto, Jan. 10, 1968). "It is not fair to give a patient false hope" he said.

But there is a Great Physician who offers man a certain hope—the gift of a new heart—in an operation which can never fail. Every person should know about this operation, for we all need a new heart. Why? Because God says that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart we now have is evil (Gen. 6:5).

Man has filled the world with battlefields, jails, and concentration camps, and not satisfied with that, men commit fresh crimes daily! At the same time they deny their own guilt and their part in the evil in the world. Man always blames someone else—never himself.

But, "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Rom. 3:12. No wonder God says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God can. "I the Lord search the heart." Jer. 17:9, 10.

What does He find when He searches it? Surely He finds that you are far away from God. On one hand, "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God" (Psa. 10:4): on the other, "The Lord is far from the wicked." Prov. 15:29.

God sent His Son to bridge that distance, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all." 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.

If you need a new heart you can only get it from someone who has died to make the gift possible. Washansky's new heart came from a young woman killed by a car. Her death was an accident, but it gave him her heart so he could live. But Christ died on purpose. Being God, man could not take His life from Him, but He laid it down willingly.

Why? Because God loves us. Christ took on Himself the sins of every man who will believe on Him, and accepted the judgment of death for those sins just as if they were His own (though Christ Himself never sinned). "Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6.

All God asks you to do for salvation is to believe this NOW. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

God paid a tremendous price for man's salvation—the death of His Son—although He offers it as a free gift to you. "I will give them a heart to know Me." Jer. 24:7. "A new heart also will I give you." Ezek. 36:26.

Something inside Washansky's body made it reject the new heart he had received from another's death, and so he died. He couldn't help his fate, BUT YOU CAN. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [or Jesus as Lord], and shalt believe IN THINE HEART that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.

Why don't you trust the Great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ? He is the Creator of heaven and earth, and His work can never fail. He gives eternal life to His sheep (those who believe on Him) and they shall never perish (John 10:28).

If you refuse Him as your Savior NOW, you must meet Him as your Judge LATER. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Heb. 2:3. You cannot escape from Him in the day of judgment, for He can read the deepest secrets of your heart.

If you accept Christ as your personal Savior NOW you will never have to meet Him as your Judge later. Won't you accept Him today? "And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40.

Come!

When Jesus was on earth, He said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Jesus, the risen Savior, is just as eager today to have sinners come to Him with all their sins and their need as He was when He was here among men. If, as a sinner, you will come to Jesus and trust Him as your Savior, you have God's Word for it that your sins will be forgiven, and you will go to be with Him when He comes for His own.

Who Made It?

"In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth. " Gen. 1:1.

Sir Isaac Newton had a friend who, like himself, was a great scientist, but he was an atheist, while Newton was a devout believer. They often locked horns over the question of the earth's beginnings, though their mutual interest in science drew them much together.

Newton had a skillful mechanic make him a replica of our solar system in miniature. In the center was a large gilded ball representing the sun, and revolving around this were smaller balls fixed on the ends of arms of varying lengths, representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, in their proper order.

These balls were so geared together by cogs and belts as to move in perfect harmony by turning a crank.

One day, as Newton sat reading in his study, with this mechanism on a large table near him, his atheistic friend stepped in. He was scientist enough to recognize at a glance what was before him.

Stepping up to it he slowly turned the crank, and with undisguised admiration watched the heavenly bodies all move at their relative speed in their orbits. Moving away a few feet, he exclaimed, "My! What an exquisite thing this is! Who made it?"

Without looking up from his book Newton answered, "Nobody!" Quickly turning to Newton the atheist said: "Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked you who made this thing?"

Looking up now, Newton solemnly assured him that nobody made it—that the collection, or aggregation of matter so much admired had just happened to assume the form it was in.

But the astonished atheist replied with some heat: "You must think I'm a fool! Of course somebody made it. He is a genius, and I'd like to know who he is."

Putting his book aside, Newton arose. Laying a hand on his friend's shoulder, he said: "This thing is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know.

"I can't convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker, yet you profess to believe that the great original from which this replica is taken has come into being without either designer or maker. Now tell me by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an inconsistent conclusion?"

The atheist could not offer one word of argument. Instead, believing, he at last owned that "The Lord, He is the God." 1 Kings 18:39.

"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:3, 4.

Walls

We have all heard about the Berlin Wall. It was begun in August, 1961, and this month marks the 24th anniversary of its building. Oddly enough, it was built to keep the citizens of East Germany in.

Most other walls have been built to keep someone out. The greatest of all was the Great Wall of China, more than 4,000 miles long. (Recent discoveries seem to indicate that it was actually about 2,000 miles longer!) It is said that it was one of only two man-made objects to be seen in the early photos sent back from space.

The Romans built a great wall too. Hadrian's wall stretched all the way across the north of England and it, too, was so strongly built that much remains until now.

All through the ages men have built walls as high and as strong as possible; in fact, we are still seeing walled communities being built in the name of security. Some of these are not too different from the walled cities of old!

And there are other walls—individual walls—that people are building as fast as they can. Oh, not walls of brick and stone, but they are walls nonetheless. Here is one: "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you." Isa. 59:2. Isn't that a wall?

Men try also to build walls that shut God out! "God is love"—but shut Him out! "God is light"—but we don't want light to show up our sins! Shut that out too.

Shut out love—divine love—God's love? A love that forgives and redeems and blesses, that cherishes and shelters and protects, a love that "passes knowledge"? Yes, we can do that and build the wall ever higher.

We may think, If God is all-powerful, why doesn't He just break down the wall and enter anyway?

In the Bible we read that the Lord Jesus stands at the door and knocks. You, yourself and no other, must answer that knocking. You, yourself, must open the door of your heart. Only you can say, "Come in, Lord Jesus!" He will certainly do it.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20.

Why not let Him in now?

"All That Believe"

The devil has been misleading souls for nearly six thousand years. He is an experienced foe, and cannot be overcome, except by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Take care that he is not misleading you—tempting you to trust in feelings, instead of Christ. The Word of God says, "All that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:39.

He Loves You

Do you ever crave for love, for a friend who can sympathize with all your troubles, and whose love never fails? Jesus is such an One—He loves you! Just think of that; Jesus Christ loves you.

Now what will you do with that love? Reject it? Neglect it? Slight it? Scorn it? Wouldn't you rather come now to Him who loves you so much? He died to save you from your sins and to have you with Him in glory.

The love of Jesus is the most precious thing you can have. He loves you. He comes to you now in His mercy and calls you to Himself—calls you to eternal blessedness—calls you to receive His love.

Will you trust in Him as your Savior, your Lord, your Deliverer from sin? Do you not desire to be set free from the slavery of sin?

Sin in your heart keeps you unhappy. It makes you proud, hateful, envious. Sin will destroy you forever if you are not saved from it. Only Jesus can save you, for "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

What will you do with the love of Jesus? Will you receive it, or will you refuse it? Will you come to Him now and let Him save you?

He loves you and wants you to come to Him, to trust Him that He may save you, take all your sins away, give you an eternal home with Himself and His people. "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

God's Blessed Man

Some years ago Mr. Joseph Flacks was on a visit to Palestine. When he was in the city of Jerusalem he was given the opportunity of addressing quite a gathering of Jews and Arabs, all of whom were presumably unconverted.

For his subject Mr. Flacks took the first psalm. He was able to read it to them in the Hebrew. He dwelt upon the tenses; "Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, not sat in the seat of the scornful." Psa. 1:1.

He said to them: "Now, my brethren, who is this blessed man of whom the Psalmist speaks?

Notice, this happy man is one who never walked in the counsel of the ungodly, He never stood in the way of sinners, He never sat in the seat of the scornful. He was an absolutely sinless man. Who is this blessed man?"

When no one answered, Joseph Flacks said, "Shall we say he is our great Father Abraham? Is it Father

Abraham that the Psalmist is speaking of here?"

One old Jew said, "No, no; it cannot be Abraham, for he denied his wife; he told a lie about her."

"Ah," said Joseph Flacks, "it does not fit, does it? Abraham, although he was the father of the faithful, yet was a sinner who needed to be justified by faith. But, my brethren, this refers to somebody; WHO IS THIS MAN? Could it be our great lawgiver Moses?"

"No, no," they said, "it cannot be Moses. He killed a man and hid him in the sand." Another added, "And he lost his temper at the water of Meribah."

"Well," Joseph Flacks said, "my brethren, who is it? There is some man here that the Spirit of God is bringing before us. Could it be our great King David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who wrote this psalm?"

"No, no," they cried, "it cannot be David. He committed adultery and had Uriah slain."

"Well," he said, "who is it? To whom do these words refer?"

They were thoughtful and quiet for some little time. Then one Jew arose and said, "My brethren, I have a little book here. It is called the New Testament. I have been reading it. If I believed this book, if I could be sure that it is true, I would say that the man of the first psalm was Jesus of Nazareth."

An old Jew got up and said, "My brethren, the man of the first psalm is Jesus of Nazareth. He is the only one who ever went through this world and never walked in the counsels of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners."

Then the old man told how he had been brought to believe in Christ, and he took that occasion to confess openly his faith. He had been searching the Scriptures for a long time, and had found out that Jesus was the One, but he had not had the courage to tell others.

How happy he was now to tell of the saving grace of the Holy One of God, who was "a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:19.

Jesus said " Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven." Matt. 10:32.

Are You Thirsty?

"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." John 7:37.

If any man thirst! What person today does not thirst for that which will satisfy his soul? The world gives no lasting satisfaction—it never does. Multitudes are restless and dissatisfied. They are vaguely conscious of their deep need, but do not realize they are thirsting for something better.

To those who feel their need, who are conscious of their failure, this message is one of life and salvation.

"If any man thirst"—that is the sole condition.

"Let him come"—that is the simple step.

Then when we do come, Christ says: "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." John 4:14.

Here then is the secret of all blessing: the Lord gives, and I just simply take it from His hand. It is as simple as that.

"Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17.

The Clown

It is simply a delusion to think that because you see people laughing, they must necessarily be happy! A loud laugh or empty joke is often one of the coverings that Satan uses to conceal an aching heart.

Many years ago a man went to a doctor complaining that he suffered such overwhelming depression that his life was unbearable.

The doctor examined him, and after a little while remarked that he needed nothing except some lively amusement, to divert his thoughts from himself. "Try a lively novel—that would be about the best medicine you could take."

The man shook his head, as if doubtful of the prescription, and then the doctor said again, "Well, I'll tell you what to do to cheer yourself up; go to such and such a theater, and see what that will do for you." Still a turn of the head showed the patient had no confidence in the proposal's helping him.

"Well," said the doctor, "I can but think of one other thing or person that would help you, and if that does not do so, I am unable to help you. Go and see that great clown that has come to town and is drawing such crowds. If you suffer from depression after hearing and watching him, I shall be surprised."

"Ah!" said the poor man, in a tone of the deepest distress, "I am that clown."

There are many who might tell the same tale. There are two voices in your ear today; one is shouting promises of pleasure and amusement, and the other is "a still small voice," that repeats tenderly "Come unto ME, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.

That rest has been purchased for you with a great price. The Lord Jesus left His throne above and came down here that He might buy it for you. He offers it freely to you.

"He is our peace." Eph. 2:14. "Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable." 1 Peter 1:8.

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8.

Fire Alarm

On January 31, 1985, CBS news relayed a bulletin from the British Broadcasting Corporation in England that dumbfounded all who heard it.

It seems that someone saw smoke issuing from a house and turned in an alarm. The firemen responded promptly. When they entered the home they found smoke spreading through the house, and fire raging in the living room.

As they usually do, they checked to make sure no one was trapped in the house. To their amazement they found four people sitting in one room watching television. The two adults and two children were coughing from the smoke and their eyes were watering, but still they sat glued to the TV. The firemen couldn't believe their eyes.

"Don't you know the house is on fire? Get out at once," they warned.

But the people refused to budge. "Can't you just put out the fire while we watch the end of the film?" they asked. "After all, it's your job."

The broadcaster who reported the story sounded incredulous as he reported the facts, and the listeners also found it hard to believe. How could anyone be so foolish as to risk death for the sake of a few minutes of television viewing?

But perhaps you are doing something just as foolish. I know you are not watching TV or playing a game while your house burns around you, but are you carrying on your business, your school work, your pleasures, with no thought for the future? The Bible warns us that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and that "the wages of sin is death." Rom. 3:23; 6:23. We are told also to "flee from the wrath to come." Matt. 3:7.

Lovingly, the Lord Jesus is inviting you to come to Himself and be saved. He suffered on the cross of Calvary and bore the penalty for the sins of all who will trust in Him. He shed His blood and died for you and me so that He could offer a free salvation to each one of us. Won't you take the salvation He is offering you? "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

Fullness of Joy

"As the Father hath loved Me, [the Lord Jesus], so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:9, 11.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are robbing yourself. Your rejection of the salvation provided by the death of God's Son on Calvary is causing you to miss the highest joy.

Not that a Christless man can have no joy. He may know the joy of health, friendship and domestic life. He may acquire money, power and fame, for God in mercy allows these blessings. It is "the goodness of God."

But, there are greater, higher and more lasting joys than these. An unsaved soul cannot know the joy of sins forgiven, the comfort and companionship of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the joy of becoming like Him. It is God's desire that all His children should be joyful—full of joy.

"If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23.

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24.

"These things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves." John 17:13. "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." 1 John 1:4.

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psa. 16:11.

This joy is the portion of every true believer, those who have taken Christ as their Savior and know their sins forgiven.

But, how different for the one who is without Christ! God is a holy God and must punish sin. So, for those who "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" there is an eternal hell—they are lost forever! Oh, come to Christ today.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

"I Thought I Was Dead"

Seventeen-year-old George had thoroughly enjoyed his trip. He and more than sixty others had flown to Lake Tahoe for a weekend of fun and skiing and were now ready to return home.

As the passengers buckled their seat belts in preparation for takeoff, the stewardess aboard the charter flight began her usual warnings concerning safety procedures in case of an emergency. Many of the passengers had heard the warnings so often before that they felt no real need to pay attention to the instructions.

"It seemed like when the stewardess was going through all those safety things," George stated, "everyone was just laughing. I took her seriously."

Does that sound familiar? Perhaps you have heard the gospel so often and have had warnings as to your soul's need presented to you so frequently that you no longer feel the need to pay attention.

"It's just the same old stuff," you mutter to yourself. "I've heard it all before."

The warnings, however, are necessary. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." Job 33:14. "Because there is wrath, beware." Job 36:18. God has declared that sin is punishable by death, and that "all have sinned." Rom. 3:23. He also warns us that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27. These warnings may sound harsh, and you may be tempted to throw this magazine down in disgust, feeling that while someone else may need these warnings, you certainly do not. All, however, have sinned, and all need a Savior.

I have flown thousands of miles in many different types of aircraft and have never once needed to put into effect the emergency procedures outlined so carefully by the crew at the beginning of each trip. That does not mean that I can ignore the warnings. Emergencies do occur occasionally, and it is necessary to know the correct procedure to follow.

George and his fellow-passengers heard the instructions, whether or not they needed them, and the charter flight took off.

"All of a sudden we hit some turbulence," he reported, "and we were going up and down and it was pretty shocking. But everyone was laughing in the airplane and thought it was nothing. I just saw sky out my window," he continued, "and all of a sudden I saw the ground coming up and the pilot said we were going to crash."

Suddenly the laughter turned to screams and within seconds it was all over. George, following the safety instructions, had his legs up and his head covered with his hands. He found himself sliding through fire and debris and suddenly realized he was outside the plane. Ripping off his seat belt, which was still attached, he ran from the burning plane as it exploded.

"I thought I was dead," he recalled. "I was scared!"

George, his father, and one other man survived. Sixty-eight others perished in spite of the safety warnings. Some, depending on their position at the moment of impact, had almost no chance of escape from death. God, however, is offering you a sure escape from coming judgment. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, down to this earth to suffer and to die so that you could escape the wrath to come. The blood which He shed on the cross can wash away every stain of sin and make you ready for an eternity with Himself in heaven.

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

Won't you accept God's offer of salvation today?

Can We Know?

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38, 39.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24.

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." 1 John 5:13.

"I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:28.

The Cat's "Meow"

"Meow—"

The plaintive little wail trailed off into the air. With a rush and a roar cars and trucks raced by in an endless stream, and the bedraggled little bundle of fur huddled by the railing of the bridge attracted no attention. No one had time to stop; no one cared to stop; no one dared to stop.

"Meow!"

But the traffic thundered on.

Then came Kathy. Driving alone across the bridge, she caught a glimpse of the little cat. Out loud she exclaimed, "Was that a cat?" A cat where no cat should be, a cat in deadly danger—Kathy's heart went out to it.

She could not turn in the stream of traffic (it was an interstate highway bridge, six miles long) so she drove on to the end of the bridge. Then she turned around and drove to the other end, turned again and drove back to the section where she had seen the cat.

Turning on her blinking emergency lights and slowing down, her eyes searched the area anxiously. There it was! And yes, it was a cat—a live cat! For a few minutes there was little traffic, and—"I stopped, jumped out, ran around and scooped it up."

Back into the car she ran with the cat, crossed that long bridge once more, and drove off to the animal hospital. Kitty was saved!

Soon skilful hands were examining her injuries, treatment was begun and in a short time a warm, well-fed and comfortable little cat was purring in Kathy's arms.

Once there was a man who, like Kitty, was left by the roadside "half dead." Traffic passed him by; the travelers on the road didn't want to get involved until a "certain Samaritan" came and "when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds... and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

Even so Kathy, when she saw Kitty, went back to where she was and picked her up, ("It was a brave thing she did," said the veterinarian) and took poor Kitty to where she could be cared for. More than that, she promised to be responsible for all the bills for Kitty's care at the hospital.

The Samaritan also paid for the care of the man he had rescued, and then said: "Take care of him: and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." (The whole story is in Luke 10:30-35.)

And what has all this to do with us? Like Kitty, we are lost and helpless; like the man by the roadside, "half dead," (dead toward God but alive in the world) we need a rescuer—a savior. There is a rescuer for us—"a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." He came down to where we were, leaving His Father's house and all the glory that was His to die on a shameful cross, for you and for me. "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isa. 53:5.

Yes, He did all that—He suffered that we might be healed. We were not like Kitty; we were sinners. That is why the Lord Jesus had to give His life to save us, why "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb. 9:28. He died to save us; He gave His life on the cross to put away our sins.

What is left for us to do? Only this: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. That isn't too much to ask of us, is it? It is just the pure grace of God, all the way through!

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8.

Prayer

Most men will admit that they should pray. Not to pray is an omission that people generally would condemn. Idolators invoke their gods. Mohammedans have fixed hours for saying their prayers. Jews say prayers. Roman Catholics repeat prayers. Protestants pray, and so on.

Surely it is the duty of every intelligent creature to acknowledge the goodness of the Creator. A prayerless soul is in a sadly infidel state! There is a difference between a prayerless man, and a man who owns God as his Creator and Benefactor, yet both may be dead in trespasses and sins. The former is infidel, acknowledging God no more than would an animal; the latter acknowledges God in His ways of creation and providence, yet, failing to own God's grace in redemption, he is still unpardoned and unsaved.

Many will speak of the kindness of God in providence who do not believe the glorious gospel of Christ for salvation and are, therefore, still in their sins—condemned already. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36.

Are you a prayerless soul? Do you eat, and drink, and enjoy the bounties of God in nature and providence, without ever bowing your knees to Him in acknowledgment of His mercies?

You say, I make no profession! What! God blesses you day by day with such providential mercies and, far beyond all that, has sent His only-begotten Son to die for you, for He wants to save you from the wrath to come by the shedding of His own precious blood, and yet you "make no profession"! As if such wonderful love and grace were beneath your dignity to notice!

Perhaps you say, "I am not a prayerless person. I could not lie down at night or get up in the morning without saying my prayers. I never commence a meal without repeating grace, and I must own that God has greatly blessed me in my family, business, and property."

All this may be quite true, but what about your soul? You are merely resting in your accustomed religious duties, and owning God in His dealings with you in providence, but you are not owning the mercy of God in saving sinners by the death of His Son. You are neglecting your soul's salvation.

You may acknowledge God, but do you as a lost sinner believe in His Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul? This is the all-important question.

Some may say, "Neither of these describes my case. I try to pray, and cannot. I am often afraid to sleep at night, lest I should awake in hell, and sometimes when I see the lightning and hear the thunder roar, I fear it may be Christ coming in judgment. I had serious impressions when a child, but they passed away. Sometimes I feel better, and then again sin is fastened deeper than ever upon my conscience."

To you, God now freely offers full forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and eternal salvation if you come to Him through Christ. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

Take your stand at Calvary's cross; there read in the shedding of His blood the unutterable mercy of God to sinners. Doubt no more. Lift your soul to heaven's throne of grace where Jesus is. Confess yourself to be a lost sinner; take the living God at His word; rely only upon the Savior's death for acceptance with God, and your burdened heart will find rest and peace.

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15.

What Can You Believe?

Some people believe one thing and some believe another concerning life, death, and eternity. Some people believe religion has the answers, and some believe science is our hope. Some people believe life just happened and death is the end, and some don't know what to believe.

Consider man's relentless search for the meaning of life and for relief from his anxieties through sensual experiences and numerous philosophies. Consider the social unrest, uncertainty, and utter despair of many people.

Then consider the peace, the joy, and the eternal hope God gives in His Son—that which man so desperately seeks in every other way.

"God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11, 12.

There are many of us who have been glad to find that God has not left man to wander, wonder, and worry. We have read in His Word of His promises and we believed them.

We received His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into our hearts by faith, and found to our great joy that it is all true and real—the reality of salvation in Christ.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Do you see? God's salvation is a Person. Do you know HIM?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer on the cross? "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23. "There is none righteous, no, not one." Rom. 3:10. So, "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

"If I gained the world but lost the Savior,

Were my life worth living for a day?

Could my yearning heart find rest and comfort

In the things that soon must pass away?

"If I gained the world but lost the Savior,

Would my gain be worth the toil and strife?

Are all earthly treasures worth comparing

With the gift of God, eternal life?

"Oh, the joy of having all in Jesus!
What a balm the broken heart to heal!
Ne'er a sin so great, but He can cleanse it,
Not a sorrow that He does not feel!"

Slow of Heart to Believe

"O fools, and slow of heart to believe.... Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" Luke 24:25, 26.

"These are written, THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and THAT BELIEVING YE MIGHT HAVE LIFE through His name." John 20:31.

No God?

After the close of a meeting, a skeptic said to me: "I do not believe there is a God." It was very late and no time for argument. I cast the burden on the Lord in prayer, and I must have looked so happy, for he said: "You are laughing at me."

"No, but I was thinking if all the grasshoppers on earth were to say, `There is no sun,' it would not change the fact of it one bit. The Bible declares, 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."' Psalm 14:1.

It is a very serious thing not to believe God, for it is calling Him a liar. For, "he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." 1 John 5:10. To such we must say, "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar." Rom. 3:4.

I am glad to report that some months later I met him again, and he said: "I have since found out that I was a fool, and that I was the liar, and I have now come to Christ."

Is There a Hell?

Many professed Christians question it. Skeptics scoff at it. Atheists deny it. Decidedly it is an unpopular doctrine today. Few preachers mention it; some openly reject it. In view of all this opposition, what shall we say? Simply this! Men are but men, who of themselves know nothing beyond this present life on earth.

Now, God is the One who made all things, who put man upon this earth, and to whom man therefore is accountable. As He is the eternal I AM, let us inquire of Him; let His Word be our guide. What has He said?

"I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, l say unto you, Fear Him." Luke 12:4, 5.

He who knows there is an everlasting fire which is "prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41) tells us that men also may be cast into it.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28. It is possible, then, for the body as well as the soul to be cast into hell.

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:13, 15.

There is no need of comment upon these statements of God's Word. God is too great, too holy to deceive any of His creatures. It is the "God who cannot lie" that in love warns men lest they come into that place of torment.

Be warned then. From these few passages of Scripture we learn that there is a hell and an everlasting fire which is the future doom of the lost who die in their sins. Flee from it while you may, to Christ, the only Savior.

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Leonardo and the Birds

Many of you are familiar with the name of Leonardo da Vinci. He was a painter, sculptor and carver, and his works still delight thousands. Perhaps you may have seen photographs and prints of some of his famous pictures.

Leonardo lived in Milan, one of the grand old cities of Italy and the people of that city often recount stories from his life as part of their heritage. In Leonardo's time, one corner of the quaint marketplace was occupied by dealers selling cages of beautiful birds, caught in the forests of Italy, or freshly stolen from the nest.

Day by day Leonardo walked down the street to the marketplace, and might be found in that corner, buying frightened, fluttering birds from the young lads who sold them.

These ragged, barefooted boys used to watch for his coming, and would nudge one another as the "crazy painter" came in sight, certain of a ready sale for their birds. No matter how many he bought one day, he always wanted more the next.

"What can he want them for?" they asked, and perhaps you wonder too.

Let us follow him, as he makes his way through the crowded marketplace, with his arms full of cages, and cages slung on his back. The chattering people smile and point after him, as he passes out of sight.

On he goes, until he reaches the pleasant field and hedgerows, and then, tenderly and gently and with a joyful expression he opens every cage and sets the birds free!

The summer air is filled with happy, trilling bird-music as the birds, wild with delight at their freedom, mount upward in the blue sky. Leonardo da Vinci stands watching them with pleasure, and an echo of their joy is in his own heart.

We cannot help admiring the great painter in this lowly work of love to God's creatures.

In his act, we may see a picture of God's wonderful gospel. God Himself is the Great Artist and Sculptor of the universe. He sees poor souls caught in the snares of Satan and caged by sin, and pities them with a tender longing.

The Lord Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, died to redeem these souls. Now He says, "Ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20), and that price was His own life, laid down for them. He loves to set prisoned souls free.

"He came to break the captive's chains, to set the prisoners free." Are you tied and bound with the chain of your sins? Do you long to be free from the power of sin and Satan? The Lord Jesus can set you free! He, and He alone, can open your prison door! Listen!

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32.

Believe that Jesus has died to purchase you; let Him undo your chains; then let your heart sing out His praises in the sunshine of His love, just as the freed birds caroled in the bright, blue heavens. A saved soul is a happy soul!

"Who would not live for Jesus,
Rejoicing, glad, and free?
The music of a ransomed life,
Is what He asks of Thee!"

Deaf Ears "Having Ears, Hear Ye Not?"

The old man in the doctor's office obviously had ears, but that hand cupped around his ear told its own tale. He had ears, but he could not hear.

Anxiously he leaned forward, his hand still cupping his ear hoping to catch what the specialist was saying. Would he prescribe a hearing aid? Could he be helped to hear again? After years of deafness he had little hope.

The surgeon's light shone into the patient's ear, his delicate instruments probed gently as he gazed intently into the ear. Suddenly the light flashed on the shining steel of his forceps. Carefully the surgeon removed a waxy plug almost an inch long and the old man could hear!

Sixty years earlier a doctor had treated him for an ear infection and had put a cotton plug in his ear. Forgotten, it had stayed in place all those years gathering dirt and wax and blocking his ear more and more.

The old man got into his car and started the motor to go home. What a roar! Startled, he switched the engine off and then realized that there was nothing wrong with the car. It was just that now he could hear! Grinning broadly, he turned the switch again and started homeward.

Yes, he had had ears, good ears, but he couldn't hear. There are other ears that do not hear, ears that are "stopped," ears that refuse to hear when the Spirit of God says, "If any man have an ear, let him hear." Rev. 13:9.

What should he hear?

He should hear the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus tells us that "he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24.

And the Apostle Paul says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. 10:17

How it all fits together! We hear, we believe, we receive! But we must both hear and believe God's Word.

Furthermore, we must not endanger our eternal future by delaying, for it is also written, "To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 4:7,8. Today, this day, right now, is all the time we can be sure of. Now! Today!

"Hear, and your soul shall live." Isa. 55:3.

What the Bible's All About

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27.

"Then He [Jesus] said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" Luke 24:25, 26.

The glorious Person of our Lord Jesus Christ is the key to the Holy Scriptures. They all point to Him in one way or another. As Jehovah God in the Old Testament, He lovingly cares for His earthly people, Israel. He is the subject of types and the object of prophecies. He over-rules in the governments of men, and receives the worship of believers.

At Bethlehem, this glorious Son of God, member of the divine trinity, entered our world as the holy Son of Man—born of a virgin. Unrecognized by the majority of His earthly people, He showed His credentials as the true Messiah by perfectly fulfilling the prophetic Scriptures. Miracles of all kinds infallibly proved Him to be the Son of God with power, even to the raising of the dead.

He died on the cross as a sacrifice to God for guilty man. He was without sin, holy, spotless and pure. He suffered for the sins of believers of all ages, shedding His precious blood as the basis of every blessing for fallen humanity. He was raised from the dead by the glory of God, He ascended back to heaven physically, and sat down at the right hand of God the Father.

He is there today caring for every interest of His believing people still on the earth. He listens to their prayers, and receives their worship. Soon, He will call to heaven His redeemed ones, both the living and the dead who died in faith. The "church" is His bride—His companion to share His reign when He appears again to this world. Here He will reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

He shall be received by His earthly people, Israel, after great troubles have softened their hearts and made them willing, according to the Scriptures. This time is very near at hand. Yes, Bible history is His story!

"These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." John 20:31.

San Francisco's Earthquake

A Momentous Day, April 18, 1906

As the clock tolled the midnight hour it ushered in another promising day for the beautiful city of the Golden Gate. That memorable day crept upon the city quietly, peacefully. Tired men slept; others, restless after their previous night's pleasures, tossed in nervous, fitful slumber.

It was approaching that strangely quiet hour just before a great city arouses itself for the whirl of the day's work.

Suddenly, the bosom of the earth heaved and great stone buildings quivered.

With frightened cries people leaped from their beds and rushed into the street. The trembling increased to a severe quaking, and the people, like swarming bees, began to flee.

The quaking then became a fearful rocking; cries and prayers, shrieks and moans mingled with the crash of falling stones and breaking timbers. For three minutes there was a roar as of cannonading from a thousand battlefields, as structure after structure bowed before the heaving earth, and tottered crashing to the ground.

To crown the horror of the scene, fire broke out and raged for four days devouring the wealth of that great metropolis.

Hundreds, if not thousands, perished; 300,000 were rendered homeless; $250,000,000.00 in property was destroyed. "Awful!" "Terrible!" "Horrible!" is our reaction.

But, my friend, will you be patient with me as I tell you the story of a more momentous day, and of a much worse tragedy that took place about the year 33 A.D.?

A man had been tried for certain offenses and a prejudiced council had declared Him guilty. His accusers induced the governor to waive his power of pardon, and to turn the man over to meet His death by crucifixion.

The maddened populace surged about this One as He wearily, yet patiently, began to bear His cross up the steep hill on whose summit He was to be "lifted up." On the brow of that hill they crucified Him. A title was placed above His thorn-crowned head. It read, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews."

"And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads... Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said... He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God... The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth."

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour... the sun was darkened... and, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and THE EARTH DID QUAKE, and the rocks rent."

Just before this we read of Him: "Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished... said... IT IS FINISHED: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost... But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." (From the four gospels.)

The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was the most wicked crime that has ever been commited, but the blood which He shed when His side was pierced is the basis on which salvation is offered to you today. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb. 9:22. "For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Lev. 17:11.

"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Perhaps you say, I don't want to think about the next life just yet; I'll wait until later. Friend, think again for a moment of San Francisco's fate. God's time had come, and in a moment they were swept into eternity! Do not trifle with the uncertainties of life, with the sureness of coming judgment, with the realities of eternity! I ask you in earnest love, "Are your sins forgiven? Are you saved now, and for eternity?"

The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Rom. 10:9 tells us: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [Jesus as Lord], and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

"Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14, 15.

The work is done. It is all of grace; there is nothing you need to do but to believe and receive it.

The Only Solution

We are living in days of increasing danger. While we may not fear it nor be downhearted, it is certain that all of us will soon be in eternity. In view of this, provision for salvation has been made in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. By His death and victorious resurrection He has broken down every barrier, and provided a perfect ground for our acceptance before God.

Nothing could be more simple than the conversion of a soul to God, but it is a personal matter between God and the sinner, and must be settled in this life. Scripture says that unless a man be born again he can neither see nor enter the kingdom of God.

"Verily, verily [truly], I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3.

Many think that the great change of being "born again" is unnecessary. Some think that if they "do their best," and "live up to" their convictions, it will be all right with them in the end.

"Ye must be born again" are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore are true words. In declaring the necessity of regeneration to Nicodemus, the Savior explained how spiritual birth takes place.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:14-16.

The Son of Man—the Lord of life and glory—was lifted up on Calvary's cross that we might be eternally saved by believing on Him.

Remember, the Word of the living God says, "Ye must be born again." Believe, therefore, with your heart on the Lord Jesus Christ, for "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." 1 John 5:1.

A Father's Plea

In South Korea today there is freedom of religion, but it has not always been so. During the year of the Japanese occupation, Shinto shrine worship was compulsory. Even children in school were required to bow before the shrines, and older Christians who refused were sent to prison.

At last the Japanese withdrew and the Christians were free to worship God again, free to hold jobs and to send their children to the public schools.

Mr. Sohn of Sunchon was one of these. Released from prison, he soon resumed his old work in charge of a leper hospital in Sunchon and sent his two sons back to school.

Like their father, the two boys were faithful and out-spoken Christians and were soon the leaders of a band of Christians in their school.

But peace had not really come to Korea yet. Rioting began in the southern districts. As the older son of Mr. Sohn was praying in his room, the door was thrown open by one of his own classmates who shouted, "Here is the most obnoxious Christian boy! Take him!"

Rioters poured into the room, beating and stabbing Elder Son with bamboo spears. He was dragged to the people's court and sentenced to be shot. As Elder Son was dragged away to the place of execution, Younger Brother threw himself in front of him, crying, "Don't kill him! Kill me instead!"

The rioters shot both boys to death.

The day after the double murder the national army occupied Sunchon and order was restored. Many of the rioting students were arrested, and among them was the one who caused the death of the two Sohn boys. He was tried and sentenced to be shot.

Mr. Sohn heard of the sentence and, even though still grieving for his own two boys, he hurried to the army headquarters to beg the commanding officer to pardon the boy.

At first the answer was, "NO!" But he pled so earnestly that at last the officer consented and released the boy to Mr. Sohn.

Then Mr. Sohn took the wretched boy who had caused the death of his own two beloved sons into his own home. He fed him and cared for him and above all told him how Elder Son and Younger Brother had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how they had trusted themselves to Him for time and eternity, and that, thought they were dead, they were with their Lord Jesus and alive forevermore.

Such love and grace—is it any wonder that the boy soon became a Christian just like the "most obnoxious Christian boy" he had hated?

What a little picture this is of God's love and grace! He sent His own beloved Son into the world, yet the world hated Him and cried, "Away with Him!" Now what does God say to the world that crucified His Son?

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." John 1:12. Sons of God! Even as Mr. Sohn saved the life of that poor Korean boy and took him into his own home, so God now accepts all who will receive Him.

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

The Corporal

The roar of raiding planes could be heard over blasts of exploding bombs and the thunder of anti-aircraft guns and heavy artillery. A pall of smoke hung over the whole island Singapore was under attack. Some may personally remember the many acts of heroism during those last bitter days. This, however, is not written to record acts of love and sacrifice in that hour of need, but to relate a greater Love.

The escape to Java by a small Chinese river boat was an adventure, but again this is written to tell of a greater deliverance.

Deliverance from that inferno had been miraculous, and with Batavia harbor in sight, there came a sense of gratitude and desire to thank God. I thought that nothing short of the biggest cathedral would do for my thanks but, once ashore, I found the cathedral closed. I soon found myself with the rest of my company in a bar.

The war seemed to follow us. Events in Java moved quickly, and soon came news of surrender. I searched for a way of escape, but was soon herded into a P.O.W. camp. I thought longingly of my previous miraculous deliverance, and where my gratitude had taken me: to a bar!

Months passed, and new guards came on duty. One was so different from the rest. From the wire fence he sang hymns and spoke of the Lord Jesus with the limited knowledge of his soon-acquired English. Men thought he was silly and called him "Holy Joe." Many took unfair advantage of him, but that did not discourage him from learning more English to tell the prisoners of his Lord.

I had some knowledge of Japanese, and acted as camp interpreter, so he was able to talk more with me than with the others. One day he asked me whether I was a Christian. I saw the joy in his eyes when I replied, "Yes," but it was followed by sadness when I added, "We are all Christians!"

He told me something of what it meant to be a Christian in a heathen land. He spoke as if being a Christian meant everything to him and he referred constantly to the Lord Jesus as if He were a real, personal friend. I had never heard anyone speak like this, and his words disturbed me.

There were about 3,000 men in the camp, and I was forced to admit to myself that we had no "Christian" like this one. The name of Jesus could often be heard, but only in blasphemy. Between work details, men spent most of their time in card playing, and the conversation was what is commonly referred to as "barrack-room." Some did have Bibles, but during inspections it was obvious they were not kept for reading purposes.

Later many of us were sent to an island near New Guinea. There epidemics and starvation took a heavy toll of lives. The island was finally given up, and the pitiful remnant was packed into a ship for a 70-day-nightmare voyage back to Java. Over 300, nearly half of the men still alive, died on the way.

At last the end came, and freedom. Freedom! God had spared me and I was anxious to find the purpose, believing there must be something definite He wanted me to do. Off I went to the Church Missionary Society and offered my services.

The interviewer listened attentively to me and then came to the point: "When you are abroad, what will you tell the people?"

"All about Christianity, of course," I replied.

"Well," said he, "say we are in Japan and I'm the Japanese... you tell me what you would tell him."

Beyond stammering, "You have stone idols and we have a living God," I did not get very far and I soon wished the floor would open up and swallow me.

I went home a dejected but thoughtful man and began to study "Christianity." I soon found my life was not a Christian one. I tried to be better, but the more I tried the worse I seemed to become.

A young Christian urged me to study the Bible and attend Gospel meetings. At one meeting an elderly man spoke of the Lord Jesus in the same loving, personal way that the P.O.W. guard had done, and in the way I needed to hear. He spoke of Peter's falling down at the knees of Jesus and saying, "I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

Yes, we were all sinners. I knew I was. Then was unfolded the story of Calvary, of God's love for sinners, of God's sending His Son to die and pay the full price of their debt. God showed me that the Lord Jesus had borne my sins in His own body and had shed His precious blood for me. I received the Lord Jesus as my Savior and I was saved and knew it!

The Bible became a book to understand and love and I longed to learn more about my living Savior. The sense of relief on being freed from a prison camp was great, but the joy of being freed from the burden of sin is the greatest!

You do not have to go through such trials as I did before finding the Savior. Open your Bible at John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Then simply tell the Lord: "Yes, 'whosoever' includes me; I accept." Then thank Him for His gift and tell someone what you have done. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.

Have I Christ?

We must have Christ for ourselves, or we are without God and without hope in the world. Let us ask ourselves then, Have I Christ for myself?

"Ye believe in God, believe also in Me. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:1, 6.

Full Confidence

Wayne was worried about his soul. He took his problems to a friend, who soon saw that Wayne was trying to get everlasting life by his own great efforts. He spoke of "sincere prayers" and "heartfelt desires" for salvation, but concluded that he did not "feel any differently in spite of it all."

His friend listened to all he had to say, and then asked, "Wayne, did you ever learn to float?"

"Yes, I did," was the surprised answer.

"And did you find it easy to learn?"

"Not at first."

"What was the difficulty?"

"Well, the fact was, I could not lie still; I could not realize or believe the water would hold me up without any effort of my own, so I always began to struggle and, of course, down I went at once."

"And then?"

"Then I learned that I must give up all the struggle and rest on the strength of the water to bear me up. It was easy enough after that; I just lay back in the fullest confidence that I should not sink."

"That's it!" exclaimed his friend."God doesn't tell you to pray and struggle and work to be saved. He doesn't tell you to wait for a different feeling; He tells you just to rest in Him to believe His Word to receive His gift. He says, 'Believe ye that I am able to do this?... According to your faith be it unto you.' He does it all."

"Man, I Am Sorry for You!"

It was not yet time for the train to leave, and among the waiting passengers a man walked back and forth in the long depot, holding his little daughter's hand. A commotion near the door attracted general attention, and several officers brought into the room a handcuffed prisoner.

It soon became known that he was a notorious criminal who had been sentenced to the state prison for twenty years. The little child looked at him with wonder and horror. Then, as she saw the settled, sullen gloom of his countenance, a tender pity grew on her sweet face until, dropping her father's hand, she went over to the prisoner, and, lifting her eyes to his face, she spoke a few low words.

He glared fiercely at her and she ran back half afraid to her father's hand. But a moment after, she was at his side again pressing nearer than before in her self-forgetfulness, and this time the prisoner dropped his defiant eyes as he listened, and a slight tremor passed over his hard face. Then her father called, and the little one went slowly away, looking back pityingly. The train came presently, and the prisoner went quietly on board, and during the journey he gave the officers no trouble.

Upon their arrival at the prison his conduct was most excellent, and continued to be so, and it was observed that he spent his time in studying in the Bible. Finally someone asked him how it came about that he brought with him such a reputation for willfulness, since he had proved himself so quiet and well-behaved.

"Well, I'll tell you," he said. "It was when I was waiting in the depot, before I came here. A little girl was there with her father. She wasn't much more than a baby, and she had long, shiny hair falling over her shoulders, and great big blue eyes; somehow I couldn't help looking at her.

"By and by she let go of her father's hand and came over to me, and said, 'Man, I am sorry for you,' and you wouldn't believe it, but there were tears in her eyes! Something appeared to give way inside of me then, but I was proud and wouldn't show it; I just scowled at her blacker than ever.

"The poor dear looked kind of scared like and ran off to her father, but in a minute she was back again; she came right up to me and she said, 'Man, Jesus Christ is sorry for you.' Oh, that clean broke my heart. Nobody' d spoken to me like that since my good, old mother died, years and years ago. I'd hard work to keep the tears back, and all the way down here I was just thinking of Mother, and a great many things she used to teach me, when I was no bigger than that blessed baby for I'd a good bringing up, though more's the shame to me.

"Well, the whole of it is, I made up my mind I would never rest till I found my mother's God, and," he exclaimed, while the tears ran down his face, "oh, He's saved me He's saved mel"

How true are the words of that little girl, "Man, Jesus Christ is sorry for you." He proved how deep was the pity and love of His heart for us poor, wretched sinners, by coming down from heavenly bliss to sorrow and shame here below. He came from the throne to the cross, and there upon that cross He suffered the wrath and judgment of God for us. "Christ died for our sins." 1 Cor. 15:3.

Friend, as you read these words, can you say in simple faith, "Christ died for me?" Death is our due as sinners, for we read in Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." But the Savior in love and wondrous grace suffered the bitterness of death and judgment for all who will accept Him and now there is nothing but the sweetness of His love left for the one who trusts in Him.

Oh, what a Savior He is to die for us who were His bitter enemies by nature. "The carnal mind is enmity against God." Rom. 8:7. "When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." Rom. 5:10.

Does not your heart yield and break before such love? Will you take this Savior as your own, now? Joy and peace will then be yours.

What Is Heaven?

Sitting reading, I became aware of a little bird in my room. It was trying to escape. From wall to wall and against the closed window it dashed. At last it escaped through a window in the back of the house. Poor little thing, how frightened it was of me! It had no desire for the near company of a human being.

I said to myself, "This is just how a sinner would feel if he could get into heaven unsaved." The presence of God would be intolerable. The poor man would be out of his element, and have no desires suitable to that holy place. His one thought would be to escape. Yet we hear people say, "Oh, of course, we all hope to go to heaven!"

In heaven all believers in God's dear Son are conformed to His blest image, and there all is unsullied righteousness around and within each heart. It is where God in all His glory reveals the fullness of His love to those who "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Rev. 7:14.

There the great multitude of the redeemed delight to raise their song of praise to "Him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb forever." Sin, sorrow, suffering, and death have no place there, and partings shall be no more. The presence of God and His Son make heaven home.

To be at home in God's company you must possess divine fitness and divine affections; without these you would only be miserable there, like the little bird in my room.

You could not join in heaven's song of praise to the Lord Jesus: "Thou art worthy." You would have nothing to praise Him for. The very heavens we see shall pass away; the earth we live on shall be burned up, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)

Would heaven be home to you, then? If you are not washed in the Savior's blood, your presence in heaven would defile it. You cannot have a place inside.

There is no middle place for "respectable" sinners. "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth." Rev. 21:27. God can never pass sin by unpunished.

God sent His beloved Son into the world to prove His love to man by dying to put away sin; in righteousness He poured out His wrath against it on the sinless One made Him to be sin for us. Now sin has been judged to the uttermost, for Christ has died to establish God's righteousness, and made it available for everyone who believes. God is now just in justifying him who believes in Jesus. (Rom. 3:26)

This is the only fitness which will count with God to save a sinner from hell, and take him to heaven, for it is provided by Himself, and in His grace, it flows to us through a righteous channel, even through the crucified, risen Lord, and is possessed by the believer. So-called "good works" will not save.

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:5.

Believe God's record, and you will be happy now in His presence, for His perfect love casts out fear. You will love Him because He first loved you, and Heaven will be home to you, dear sinner, saved by grace. There you will sing the song that begins on earth:

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood... to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Rev. 1:5, 6.

You Can Be Saved

WHY? Because Jesus has died and risen again. On this basis you can be saved, and on no other. If you are to be saved, your sin's heavy load must be removed. If sin's heavy load must be removed, sin's penalty must be borne. If sin's penalty must be borne then Jesus must die, for sin's penalty is death. "Your sins are forgiven you" not for your work's sake not for your morality's sake but for "His name's sake." 1 John 2:12.

WHERE? The answer is simple: Anywhere. Mercy flows today, not through some shrine in a holy city, nor through the fingertips of some holy hands, but from a victorious and ascended Christ in heaven. He is accessible anywhere. Reach out to Him. In other words, believe on Him, and you shall be saved.

HOW? By faith, and by faith alone. Scripture is definite on this point. Salvation is not by works, nor by faith and works combined, but by faith alone. "Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:9.

WHEN? There is only one wise answer: Now. Be careful that you do not lose your soul over the little question when! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Come to Jesus NOW.

A Present Possession

Salvation by faith in Christ is repeatedly declared in the Scriptures to be the present possession of those who believe. Thus the Lord said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24.

Why People Don't Read the Bible

As Queen Elizabeth I grew old, her wrinkles were deep and many. It is reported that an unfortunate Master of the Mint incurred disgrace by casting a too-faithful likeness of her on the shilling. The die was broken, and only one mutilated specimen is now in existence.

Her maids of honor took the hint and were thenceforward careful that no fragment of looking-glass should come into Her Majesty's hands. In fact, it is said that the queen "had not the heart to look herself in the face for the last twenty years of her life!"

As a mirror exposes all the wrinkles and dirt that may be on a face, so does the Word of God expose the heart. Reading the Bible shows us our sins. If we refuse to repent and change, we soon get tired of seeing our "dirty faces" in God's Mirror—so we stop looking into the mirror.

How foolish! It is better to see the dirt, confess it and be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Say with David, the Psalm writer: "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Psa. 51:2.

God will surely answer: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. "Isa. 1:18.

You Can Be Saved..

WHY? Because Jesus has died and risen again. On this basis you can be saved, and on no other. If you are to be saved, your sin's heavy load must be removed. If sin's heavy load must be removed, sin's penalty must be borne. If sin's penalty must be borne then Jesus must die, for sin's penalty is death. "Your sins are forgiven you"—not for your work's sake—not for your morality's sake—but for "His name's sake." 1 John 2:12.

400 Million Dollars

Two steady streams of bubbles rose above the divers digging in the silt and mud of the ocean bottom near Key West. Bubbles, silver bubbles, were steadily rising and bursting at the surface. Under the water, the divers stared unbelievingly at real silver solid silver in what looked like a reef of silver. No silver bubbles these!

Sixteen years of treasure hunting had paid off; they were looking at last at the Atocha treasure, lost in a hurricane in 1622. Hard years they had been; years of search and storm and sorrow. At least three lives had been lost in the search, including the son of the chief treasure hunter himself, but "it was worth it," he said, as he considered the $400 million worth of gold and silver to be recovered from the old wreck.

"Gold shines forever, dazzling, brilliant, blinding... I'm under the spell," he said.

Many, many others have been "under the spell." Gold fever is not new; witness the recurrent gold rushes in history. All through the ages men have fought and schemed and murdered and died for gold and silver, treasures of the earth.

Very recently there was another kind of "gold rush" when speculation and frantic trading pushed the price of gold up towards $1000 per ounce. The mining industry spent millions of dollars expanding their operation and opening new mines.

What happened? The price peaked at $850, and then began to slide down—down—down. Today it is a little above $300, but in some mines it costs more than that to mine an ounce. For many mines and miners the situation is critical, and they face an uncertain future if the market does not rise soon.

The Bible tells us not to "trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God." 1 Tim. 6:17. The Atocha treasure must be guarded day and night; otherwise that gold may be "dazzling, brilliant, blinding" in the eyes of a thief. The finders of the treasure may that "better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith." Prov. 15:16.

The truth is that even gold will not "shine forever." It can be melted by heat or chemical action and all its brilliance lost to view.

And, no matter what value gold and silver may have on earth, it is still true that "they that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him... that he should still live forever, and not see corruption.... Men die... and leave their wealth to others." And the reason: "For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever." Psa. 49:6-10.

All the gold and silver in the world is not enough to redeem one soul. The soul who comes to the end of life with nothing more than gold and silver—or stocks and bonds—or bank accounts and other investments —will find too late that the redemption of his soul has ceased forever.

If wealth cannot save a soul, what can? The Apostle Peter answers in 1 Peter 1:18, 19: "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ."

Christ died on the cross to redeem our souls so that now, even though "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," we can be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:23, 24.

Freely—freely—FREELY! "Without money and without price" salvation is offered now to everyone, rich and poor alike. Believe it. Receive it. It is a treasure that will last forever.

"Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,

Nor riches of earth could have saved my poor soul;

The blood of the cross is my only foundation,

The death of my Savior now maketh me whole.

"I am redeemed, but not with silver;

I am bought, but not with gold;

Bought with a price—the blood of Jesus,

Precious price of love untold."

Who Is This Man?

Jesus Christ was born in the meanest of circumstances, but the air above was filled with the hallelujahs of the heavenly host. His lodging at birth was a cattle pen, but later a star drew distinguished visitors from afar to do Him homage.

His birth was contrary to the laws of life. His death contrary to the laws of death. No miracle is so inexplicable as His life and teaching.

He had no cornfields or fisheries, but He could spread a table for five thousand and have bread and fish to spare. He walked on no beautiful carpets, but He walked on the waters and they supported Him.

His crucifixion was the crime of crimes, but, on God's side, no lower price than His infinite agony could have made possible our redemption. When He died, few mourned, but a black crepe was hung over the sun. Though men trembled not for their sins, the earth beneath shook under the load. All nature honored Him; sinners alone rejected Him.

Sin never touched Him. Corruption could not get hold of His body. The soil that had been reddened with His blood could not claim His dust. God's approval was made known in His resurrection.

Three years He preached His gospel. He wrote no book, built no church, had no money to back Him. After almost two thousand years, He is the one central character of human history, the perpetual theme of all preaching, the pivot around which the events of the ages revolve, the only regenerator of the human race.

Was it merely the son of Joseph and Mary who crossed the world's horizon nearly two thousand years ago? Was it merely human blood that was spilled on Calvary's hill for the redemption of sinners, and which has worked such wonders in men and nations through the centuries?

What thinking man can keep from exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!"

God Is Satisfied

God has said, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Ex. 12:13. God rests satisfied with the blood outside, and we rest satisfied with His Word inside.

The Storm

It was Sunday afternoon, and a message to young people had just been delivered in the gospel hall. Ralph hurried out with the preacher's words still ringing in his ears: "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Prov. 29:1.

Many times in his life Ralph had definitely been "reproved" by the Spirit of God "convinced" of his sinful nature, of his utter lack of righteousness, and of the judgment that would be his portion if he persisted in his present course.

He had been brought up in a godly home, had daily heard the Word of God, and he knew that his parents' earnest prayers for his conversion ascended constantly to God's throne of grace.

"But," whispered Satan, "if you own yourself a sinner, and Jesus as your Savior, think of all the good times you must miss. You are young. Wait!"

And Ralph did wait. Deliberately stifling the "still small voice," he sauntered carelessly down to the lake shore. There the usual Sunday afternoon loiterers strolled or sat around on the grass. Some were reading newspapers, others chatted with friends. Not caring for companionship today, Ralph refused to look for familiar faces. Instead, he fixed his gaze out over the lake.

There the whitecaps were riding on wind-whipped waves. Black clouds rolled up from the horizon, obscuring the afternoon sun and rapidly hiding the clear blue of the sky. Buttoning his coat and pulling his hat over his eyes against the rising wind, Ralph now hurried along his favorite walk.

A little farther on was a great oak. He would take shelter there and watch the approaching storm. As he neared this haven, Ralph saw two men striding toward the tree, evidently having the same thought as he.

Amid jagged flashes of lightning and the roll of thunder Ralph sped on, thinking how foolish he had been to get so far from shelter in the face of the approaching storm. Suddenly, with an instantaneous lightning flash and rending crash of thunder, the storm broke. Through pelting rain Ralph ran for the big oak. Half blinded by the stinging drops, he stumbled toward the tree where he had seen the two men take shelter. Was there room for him? Were they still there? Peering through the blinding rain, Ralph could not see until he was almost upon them.

And what a sight it was! Prone upon the ground at the foot of the great tree lay the body of one, killed instantly by the bolt of lightning. At his side, weeping like a child, knelt the other man.

"Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" it rang in Ralph's ears.

It was then the full import of his own narrow escape burst upon his thought. Supposing he had reached the tree and remained in its shelter, instead of this poor lifeless man now lying so still! In all honesty he had to confess that if he had been plunged thus into eternity, he would have been lost forever lost.

With tear-filled eyes and broken heart, he knelt beside the weeping man. Humbly he thanked the Savior for sparing him that he might confess Him before men.

Dear one, you too are on the brink of eternity. The next heartbeat may be your last. Are you ready to meet a holy God?

He gave His dear Son to die in your stead. He died that you might live. Will you not accept so great salvation?

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:27,28.

When and Where

Suppose there is someone who does not exactly know his age. He wants to find the register of his birth, and he tries but cannot find it. Now, what is the inference he draws from not being able to tell the day of his birth?

Well, I'll tell you one conclusion he does not reach: he does not say, "Therefore, I am not alive." If the man is alive, he is alive whether he knows his birthday or not.

And, if the man really trusts in Jesus and is alive from the dead he is a saved soul, whether he knows exactly when and where he was saved or not!

You ask me when I gave my heart to Christ?

I cannot tell.

The day, or just the hour, I do not now

Remember well.

It must have been when I was all alone

The light of His forgiving Spirit shone

Into my heart, so clouded o'er with sin;

I think 'twas then I trembling let Him in;

I do not know—I cannot tell you when —

I only know He is so dear since then.

You ask me where I gave my heart to Christ?

I cannot say.

That sacred place has faded from my sight

As yesterday.

Perhaps He thought it better I should not

Remember where. How I should love that spot!

I think I could not tear myself away,

For I should wish forever there to stay.

I do not know—I cannot tell you where—

I only know He came and blessed me there.

You ask me why I thought this loving Christ

Would hear my prayer?

I knew He died upon the cross for me—

I nailed Him there!

I heard His dying cry: "Father, forgive!"

I saw Him drink death's cup that I might live;

My head was bowed upon my breast in shame.

He called me, and in penitence I came.

He heard my prayer! I cannot tell you how,

Nor when, nor where; only I love Him now.

Keruba the Bandit

Keruba, a notorious bandit in India, became concerned in his old age about the life he had lived and began to seek for peace at idol shrines.

From one to another he went in a fruitless search until one day he went to a large city to attend a great celebration. As he walked about, he heard a sound that attracted his attention. It was the clear, silvery tone of an American bell, very different from the Hindu bells he was accustomed to. He asked about it and was told that it was the bell which rang to call the Christians to worship.

Christians? Who were they? He had never heard of them before, so he went in the direction of the sound and came at length to a large building. People were going in and, after a moment's hesitation, Keruba followed them. He listened and looked around with curiosity, but when the speaker read the text, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," his attention was caught and he listened with deepest interest. The speaker caught sight of Keruba's eager, anxious look, and preached Christ Jesus and Him crucified as though he had no other listener.

The service ended and the people left, but Keruba lingered until the missionary came out. Then, stepping up to him, he said: "Is this all true that you have been preaching?"

"It is," said the missionary, "for it is just what God Himself has told us."

"Well, you say that the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin; can it take away the stain of murder?"

"Yes, indeed it can if the murderer truly believes on the Lord Jesus. God declares that `whosoever believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins."'

"Well, but supposing a man has committed two murders. Can he be forgiven them?"

"He can."

"Five murders?"

"Yes, even five."

"Supposing he had murdered ten innocent persons?" asked the man earnestly.

"God can forgive and blot out ten murders."

"But supposing it's twenty instead of ten?"

"God will forgive twenty murders for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ."

"Oh, will He forgive me?" exclaimed the man, tears filling his eyes and streaming down his cheeks. "I have murdered twenty poor innocent creatures! O God, have pity on me!"

The missionary grasped his hand and wept with him, while Keruba unfolded to him the whole story of his life and of his distress of mind during the past year. He told him how he had tortured himself and tried in every way to ease his conscience, but in vain.

"But now," he exclaimed, "I have found the Lord Jesus Christ! You say He died for me. I feel here, in my heart, it is true. Oh, Jesus Christ, I want you! Oh, take away my sins!"

And as twilight stole into the hall, the missionary and the bandit knelt together, praying. At last Keruba rose from his knees feeling his heavy burden all gone. The Lord had taken it away.

In a few days he went back to his own place and told his friends what had happened how wicked and wretched and miserable he had been, but that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the guilty, had given him pardon and comfort.

They wondered at his words, but more than all, at his happy face so changed from what it had been. As before he had won followers to himself, so now with all his zeal and might, he strove to win followers to Christ.

Which Thief?

"Oh, of course, I intend to be saved sometime! But what's the hurry? I'll take my chances. Remember the dying thief!" a young man said carelessly at the close of a gospel meeting.

"Which thief'?" asked his questioner.

"Why, there were two, weren't there! I mean the saved one," was the reply.

"Yes, one was saved and is in heaven now. The other, who had an equal opportunity for salvation, is waiting in hell. What assurance have you that you will not spend eternity as he will, rather than as the other?"

The young man saw the danger of waiting until the eleventh hour, and that night he received the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was saved for eternity.

But thousands like him forget that there were two thieves. They remember the mercy of God that saved the one, while forgetting the judgment of God meted out to the other. Carelessly, they wander on hoping to be saved at last, but oh, how many to whom the gospel is presented are cut off in their sin and damned forever! They have ignored the patience of God too long and rejected His grace until it is too late.

Which thief are you like?

The saved thief believed on the Son of God, and is with Christ now.

The lost thief scorned the Savior, and is in the depths of woe.

You must be with one or the other for eternity.

"Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." Job 36:18.

Grandpa's Sale

It was a hot July afternoon and Grandpa Brown was sitting on the porch of the old farm home. His working days were over, but he loved to look out over the fields and watch the men working and the cattle grazing. Then he caught sight of a car coming down the lane in a cloud of dust and soon a young fellow stepped out and greeted him.

"Hi there," he called; "I'm Norman Grant." And sitting down on the top step of the porch, he took off his coat and began fanning himself. Then he remembered why he had come and, opening his briefcase, he began a well-memorized sales talk. The first few words startled Grandpa. "Mr. Brown, it is necessary for a man to look to the future and to face the inevitable. As hard as it may seem to us, life is but a flickering light that soon fades into eternity."

"Must be an insurance salesman," thought Grandpa, "or maybe he sells tombstones."

The sales talk went on: "It is well for all mankind to take steps of precaution against that day. The years creep up on us with incredible speed; as we move on toward that culmination of life's journey, we may gain a great deal of satisfaction from adequate preparation. My firm takes great pains to help mankind to attain to this end."

Grandpa thought, "Selling grave plots, that's what he's doing!"

The fluent talk went on: "In all the history of mankind there has been no greater source of security than the product I'm about to show you." Norman Grant reached into his briefcase and drew out a Bible!

"Note the binding," the young man went on. "Sewed with the finest linen thread... the leather cover imported... deep rich gold and red page edges... maps printed in nine different colors.... Mr. Brown, you might travel the world over and never find a Bible like this. What a splendid addition to your home! We have it in various covers to match any living room."

The sales talk was over. Grandpa Brown leaned over and took the Bible from the salesman's hands and looked at it long and silently.

Finally he spoke: "Mr. Grant," he said, "I know the Author of this Book."

"Oh no, sir, that can't be!" exclaimed the young man. "Those who wrote it have been dead many years. They all lived ages ago."

Grandpa Brown went on as if he hadn't heard. "I met the Author of this Book first when I was a child at my mother's knee. Since then He has spoken to me from these pages many, many times. When I was sixteen He said to me: ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

"Mr. Grant, I heard His words and heeded them. Later, when as a young man I was beset by the usual temptations of young men, He said, 'Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely... think on these things.' Then when great sorrow came into our family He spoke, saying, 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.' I did, Mr. Grant, and He did.

"Again, when we had a crop failure for two years, He spoke: 'My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.' In all our joys and sorrows He has had a special word of counsel or encouragement from the pages of this blessed Book."

There was quiet on the porch for a while. Then, holding the Bible lovingly in his hands, Grandpa Brown said to the younger man, "Wouldn't you like to know the Author of this Book?"

The answer was quick and firm: "Yes, I surely would!"

As the young man prepared to leave, he said to Mr. Brown: "I came to sell you a Bible, but you have sold the divine contents of it to me, and I shall be forever grateful."

"The entrance of Thy words giveth light." Psa. 119:130.

"The holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3:15.

Happy New Year

What a cheerful sound that has! We say it to one another as though the very wish could make it so, could guarantee a new year that will be happier, healthier, more prosperous than the last.

Is that the way the new year looks to you?

In a recent newspaper survey in Japan they asked young people what color they thought their future would be. In spite of all the material prosperity in post-war Japan, most of them answered, "Gray!"

A look at the daily news would certainly encourage a gray outlook—gray, that is, where it isn't totally black! Is this the way God meant things to be?

No! When God created man He placed him in beautiful surroundings, provided for his every need and gave him "dominion... over all the earth."

What happened? We know the story. Adam and Eve listened to the tempter instead of to what God said, and you could say that they "sold out" to Satan.

Would we have done differently? Would we have chosen to walk with God in the garden "in the cool of the day," or would we have been sampling the forbidden fruit instead? When the Lord Jesus was here on earth and His own people gave Him up to be crucified, crying, "We have no king but Caesar," they were speaking for all mankind in every age. In effect, they said: "WE WILL NOT HAVE THIS MAN TO REIGN OVER US!"

Someone must reign; who will it be?

The Bible speaks of Satan as "the God of this world": "the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4:4.

No wonder things look gray! And worse than that, someday even the gray will end in "the blackness of darkness forever" for all those who have not come to the Lord Jesus who is both light and life.

That was not God's plan for man. He is "patient and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish." He "so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1. Shouldn't a child of God be happy? And can there be true happiness for anyone who knows he is not a child of God?

"Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he." Prov. 16:20.

May your new year be a very happy one!

Two Songs

"Come and go with me to the tent meeting on the square," was the invitation to fifteen-year-old Beth.

"I'll ask Mother," she replied.

Beth had been to Sunday school very few times in her life; she was an only child and had had no one to go with her. She didn't much want to go to the meeting with the middle-aged neighbor, but the woman had been kind to her.

Mother said, "She wants to go and has no one to go with her. It would be a kindness."

So Beth went.

When the two walked into the tent the congregation was just singing, "I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice." And those opening words just seemed to repeat themselves unendingly as Beth said, "I am not Thine, Lord."

Time passed, and God in His love sent someone to invite Beth to another gospel meeting. Here the messenger spoke of "the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

"He loves me, and gave Himself for me. I'd like to believe that," Beth thought.

Then the closing words of the last hymn being sung registered in her mind: "Sad, sad that bitter wail, `Almost,' but lost."

"No! No! No!" Beth was not sure she didn't say the words out loud! "He loved me, and gave Himself for me. Lord, I want to be yours!"

Is He your Savior, the One who loves you and gave Himself for you?

True Peace

How sad religion without Christ is. You may believe that there is an eternal God in heaven and may attend religious meetings, yet not have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

For many years I had just enough religion to make me miserable. Now I know Jesus as my Savior, and having Him, I am really happy. I wonder what your religion does for you.

A man I had met several times was always so gloomy. So one day I said to him: "Not many years ago I had enough religion to make me miserable, but not enough to make me happy! How is it with you?"

"That is my case exactly," he answered, surprised into confession by my own experience being so like his own.

Another time, soon after my conversion, a friend came to see me. As she entered the door she exclaimed: "Something has taken ten years from your face since I last saw you!"

"Oh," I replied, "the years from my face are as nothing to the burden the Lord Jesus has taken from my heart."

Friend, is the burden of unforgiven sins still weighing upon your heart? Do you know HIM, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree"? The apostle Peter adds, "by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

Friend, there is rest and peace in knowing the deep meaning of these wonderful words, By His stripes I am healed.

Whatever your past experience has been, accept the Savior now, and in the future you will have Christ to make you happy in all conditions, and under all circumstances.

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isa. 53:5.

Where Are Your Sins?

A believer recently answered this question by saying, "My sins are under the blood of Jesus."

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. And God says: "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Ex. 12:13.

Where are your sins? Each one is written down in God's book; each one will be kept in everlasting remembrance, unless all are blotted out by that precious blood. But when you die where will your soul be? It will either be enjoying eternal happiness, if your sins have been blotted out by the blood of Christ, or suffering in everlasting woe, if they are still written in God's great Book.

"I Don't Know Where I'm Going"

The press building was old and dirty and noisy. The Christian repairman could hardly hear the voice of the maintenance foreman over the roar of the presses—and he regretted what he did hear! Orders were shouted with a steady stream of profanity and blasphemy, and Barry's heart ached as he listened. Oh, for some way to reach that man with the gospel!

But it was neither the time nor the place, and all he could do was slip a little gospel tract in with his work sheet before he went on to the next job. With it went a prayer: "Lord, how can I help this man?"

The old building seemed always to be in need of repairs, and Barry was called in repeatedly. One day he went and found a stranger in the place of his profane old acquaintance.

"What's become of Hank?" he asked.

"Hadn't you heard? He always bragged that he was never sick a day in his life, but he's nearly dead with cancer. He looks dead already—you wouldn't know him!"

Now indeed Barry longed to reach him with the good news of a Savior who loved him, but how could he find him? ("Lord, help me to find this man!

As the days passed he became more and more anxious that poor old Hank should not go into eternity without hearing once more the "old, old story" of Jesus and His love.

A little "puffery" job had been on his work sheet for some time, a job so small it "wasn't worth a special trip" and so was put off again and again. Suddenly the name on the sheet came into focus in his mind—Henry Johnson! Could it possibly be old Hank?

Into the truck went his tools and Barry was off to the job. It was Hank! Barry went to him and gently took his hand. ("Lord, tell me what to say!")

After a few words of greeting he said, "Hank, do you know where you are going?"

The man who had been the "terror of the press room" looked at Barry and the tears began to roll. "No, I don't know where I'm going. Can you tell me?"

Barry could answer that! Simply he told the sick man of God's love for the world, of Christ's death for sinners and of the open door to life everlasting. Simply he told the story, and simply Hank accepted it. Rejoicing, Barry knelt beside him to thank the Lord for the answer to his prayers and the mercy that was shown to poor old Hank.

"Likewise... there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10.

The Book and the Blood

A Christian visiting in a hospital was having a conversation with a man about his soul when he was startled by a feeble voice nearby saying, "Does your Book tell of the blood that cleanseth from all sin? Tell me, oh, tell me, does your Book tell of the blood that cleanseth from all sin?"

The visitor entered the room from which the voice came, and upon a bed in a corner he found the wasted form of a suffering woman. Raising herself up on one arm as he entered, she stared anxiously at him and repeated her question.

"My dear friend," he said, "what do you want to know about the blood that cleanseth from all sin?"

She cried out, "What do I want to know about it? Man! I'm dying; I'm going to stand before God! I have been a wicked woman, a very wicked woman, all my life. I shall have to answer for everything I have ever done," and she groaned as she thought of her past sinful life.

"Once," she continued, "as I was passing a door, I heard something about the blood which cleanseth from all sin. Oh, if I could hear of it now! Tell me if there is anything about that blood in your Book."

The first chapter of the first epistle of John was read to her, and the poor woman seemed to devour the word, exclaiming, "Read more, read morel" The second, third, fourth and fifth verses were read before she would consent to a pause.

Almost from the very first she seemed to find peace and joy in believing in Jesus, who gave His life for the remission of sins. Today God saves the most wicked if he will by faith believe in the shed blood of His Son.

"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

He Satisfies

Friend, have you tried this poor world and found it lacking? Do you have desires and longings that are still unsatisfied? Do you long for rest and joy? Thank God if this is so, for there is One who loves you even when you don't love Him.

There is every reason why you should love Him, for He has died that the way of salvation might be opened up for you. Do not despise the way of peace that He has opened for you. Receive Him, the Prince of peace, and eternal glory is yours.

Peace, rest and joy are the portion of all who have trusted in Christ, for our blessed Lord Jesus not only saves us from our sins by His precious blood, but He lives to keep and care for us through all life's journey here.

"My people shall be satisfied,"

`Tis God who speaks the Word,

My goodness and My mercies will

Be with them, saith the Lord.

For riches cannot satisfy,

Nor gold nor silver can,

`Tis only Jesus satisfies,

And fills the heart of man.

The Great Cover-Up

On the farm in Minnesota where I lived as a child, we had to work whether we wanted to or not. One morning in the springtime, on a day just right for fishing, my mother came to me with a pan of bean seeds and said, "Oscar, take these and plant them in the garden today. Put them in straight rows a few inches apart and cover each bean with dirt. Plant them all. Understand?"

I said, "Yes."

Planting beans is no fun. In fact, it's a back-breaking job. Stoop down—get up. Stoop down—get up. Stoop down—get up. On and on it goes. Who could enjoy that?

And it was extra hard on me because my mind was really down at the lake where the fish were biting. But there was no way I could get out of it, so I worked day-dreaming all the while about other things. Body in the garden—heart at the lake.

Then all at once it happened; I accidentally stepped on the edge of the pan. FLIP! Over it went. Beans scattered everywhere. What a mess! Now all I could see was more work than ever.

Suddenly I got a bright idea. "There's no need to pick up all those beans," I thought. "I'll just cover them up and no one will ever know the difference. And besides, that will end the job!"

So I did, and headed for the house with my rake and hoe and empty pan. Mother met me at the door and said: "Done already? Did you do a good job?"

I said, "Yes."

Then she let me go fishing, but I knew in my heart that I had told a lie.

The Bible says: "BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT." Num. 32:23. We can't hide anything from God; He knows all about the things we have tried to cover up.

All went well for a few days. Then something happened; the beans began to grow and came up through the dirt. I mean ALL OF THEM, not only the ones I had planted in neat rows, but also the ones I had spilled. Now my story about doing a "good job" was ruined! And mother could see what had happened. She understood it all. Because she loved me very much, it was necessary for her to punish me for lying about the "good job" I didn't do.

After I told the children this story they called me "Mr. Beans"! I tell you the story, friend, because I want to tell you another story: the story of Jesus.

He is the Son of God who came from heaven for you and me. He knew all about our sins, but He died for us on the cross so that He could take the punishment we deserve. He wants us to receive Him as our Savior. He forgives us our sins when we believe on Him.

Pray to the Lord Jesus Christ right now. Tell Him that you are a sinner but that you want Him to take your sins away. He will do it! I accepted Him as my own personal Savior when I was a child. Now I have lived a long life and have learned to know Him better and to love Him. He has never disappointed me, and never will. I want you to know Him, too.

"CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS." 1 Tim. 1:15.

"THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN." 1 John 1:7.

"Get My Mother In!"

A well-known preacher was ready for bed one night when he heard a knock at the front door.

Upon answering it he found a poor little girl, wet with the rain. She had come through the storm, from the slum district where she lived, to find the preacher.

As he stood looking at her thin, haggard little face, she inquired, "Are you the preacher?"

"Yes, I am," he replied.

"Well, won't you come down and get my mother in?" she asked.

The preacher wisely answered the little girl: "My dear, it is hardly proper for me to come and get your mother in. If she is drunk, you should get a policeman. He is dressed for the occasion."

"Oh, sir," she replied quickly, "you don't understand! My mother isn't drunk; she's at home dying, and she's afraid to die. She wants to go to heaven, but doesn't know how. I told her I would find a preacher to get her in. Come quick, she's dying!"

The preacher could not resist the little girl's appeal, so he promised her he would come as soon as he was dressed. As he walked with her through the dark streets, she led him into an old house, up a rickety stairway, along a dark hall, and finally to a shabby room, where the dying woman lay in the corner.

"I've got the preacher for you, Mother. He wasn't ready to come at first, but he's here. You must tell him what you want, and do what he tells you, and he'll get you in!"

At that, the poor woman feebly raised her voice and asked, "Can you do anything for a sinner like me? My life has been lived in sin, and now that I'm dying I feel that I'm going to hell, but I don't want to go there; I want to go to heaven. What can I do now?"

The preacher stood looking at the poor woman and thought, What can I tell her? I have been preaching salvation by reformation, but this poor soul has gone too far to reform. I have been preaching salvation by character, but she hasn't any. I have been proclaiming salvation by good works, but she doesn't have time for that.

Then he thought: Why not tell her what your mother used to tell you as a boy. She's dying, and it can't hurt her even if it doesn't do her any good.

So bending down beside her the preacher began: "My dear woman, God is very gracious and kind, and in His Book, the Bible, He says, 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' "

"Oh," exclaimed the dying woman, "does it say that in the Bible? My! That ought to get me in. But, sir, my sins, my sins!"

It was amazing the way the verses came back to him. "My dear woman," he continued, "the Bible says that 'the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.'" 1 John 1:7.

"All sin, did you say?" she asked earnestly. "Does it really say, ALL sin? That ought to get me in."

"Yes," he replied, kneeling down beside her. "It says ALL sin. The Bible also says that 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.' "

"Well," she said, "If the chief got in, I can come. Pray for me, Sir!"

With that the preacher bent down and prayed with that poor woman. Just as she was she came to Jesus, who never turned anyone away, and SHE GOT IN.

"And in the process," added the preacher, "while she was getting in, I MYSELF GOT IN. We two sinners, the preacher and that poor woman, were saved together in that little room that night."

This Very Moment

Take a second and look at your watch or at the clock. Whatever the time may be right this moment, you can say: "This very moment I am in Christ or in my sins!"

You are either saved or lost, heading for heaven or for hell. You may not believe it; you may very much dislike thinking of it and do your best to speedily forget it. Nevertheless it is true. Ahead lies "everlasting punishment" or "life eternal."

This very moment, God has power to call you into His presence. What would be your destiny then? "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27.

At this very moment, God's record is being made in that book from which every sinner is to be judged. That record is true and in it God records your words, your deeds, and the very thoughts and intents of your heart. Will you be glad to see their display in that day?

This very moment has already passed into eternity to witness against you. Are you still in your sins, still not cleansed by the precious blood of Christ?

THINK! This very moment He longs to rescue you from the pit of despair and to save you for a glorious eternity with Him in heaven. Why refuse Him?

This very moment yield your heart, your life, your soul to Christ. This very moment you are hardening or softening under the weight of these solemn facts. Are you turning to or from our Lord Jesus?

This very moment may determine your eternal destiny. Eternal hell or eternal heaven depends upon your own decision.

May the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and by His love, at this very moment turn your rebellious will to Himself.

"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Ezek. 33:11.

Barney's 100Th Birthday

The old man was sitting on his front porch, and Mr. Gray stopped for a visit.

"How old are you, Barney?" " I'll be one hundred years old next Sunday."

"One hundred years old! Say, would you like to take a ride with me to go hear the gospel on that special day of yours?" Mr. Gray asked.

It took some persuasion and planning, but Barney finally said he would go.

Mr. Gray spoke to the gospel speaker about that special night.

And Barney was there!

The message that night was about the prodigal son who said to his father, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." Luke 15:21. Then the words of Jesus, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

Barney knew for the first time that Jesus was calling him, and he believed.

Barney lived a little over a year after that, and he faithfully told visitors over and over, "I was a sinner, but He told me if I came to Him He would not cast me out. And I came. How I wish I'd done that long ago!"

Have you ever done that, friend?

One Step Too Many

"Have you heard the dreadful news?"

"No, what is it?"

"Poor old John is dead. He fell over the cliff last night."

"How dreadful! But tell me, isn't that the old man who has worked on the roads for so many years?"

"Yes, he often boasted that he could find his way about blindfolded."

"When did he fall over, and how did it happen?"

"Last night he went to town to get his pay and then to the bar with some friends. After an hour or so he started to walk home by the cliffs. It had been snowing for some time and there was a nasty driving wind blowing which almost blinded him by blowing snow into his face. They tried to persuade him not to go that way."

"And he would not listen to them?"

"No. He laughed and said: `More'n forty years I've known the path, and could find it in the darkest night that ever was.'

"He started off across the field and up towards the top of the first cliff. He reached it, for they have traced his footsteps that far. Then he evidently took one step too many, for his footprints were clearly seen on the edge of the cliff. The next step he took was into eternity ii is awful to think of it!"

I turned away, saddened by what I had heard, for I knew this man as one utterly indifferent to God's grace. Soon after that I had to pass the spot where the poor old man had died, and the tragedy was plainly to be seen. There were the footprints still visible, and there, too, on the cliff was the mark made by his heel as he went down. There he fell and so he died.

He knew the right road and rested in his knowledge he trusted in himself. He was warned but refused the warning, and then suddenly he was destroyed.

It may be that you know the right road to heaven. Are you sure of your ability to find it at any time? Be careful! If you should take one step too many while you are still unsaved, think of the awful eternity which must follow.

Turn back before it is too late. Come now at once to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the way." John 14:6. There is no other way, but "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Prov. 29:25.

Conversion of a Hindu

You could truly call me an incorrigible. As a young man, less than thirty years old, I had led a totally selfish life. I was idle, and purposeless, and my life was miserable. I was only a burden to my family, who were all staunch Hindus.

I had a gift for vocal music, and won awards for my proficiency. I was often invited to funeral parties to sing mourning songs during the ceremony. Sad to say, I indulged in drinking and smoking and was also addicted to opium and other narcotics.

I became the head of a gang of young men, all reckless fellows who did not hesitate to engage in terrible fighting. Sometimes I even spent the night in the graveyard dodging the police, and finally ended up in jail. My parents were furious with me for all my bad behavior.

Dejected and desperate, I sought the help of a friend who might assist me in getting a job, but I could not find his correct address. The next day I again went in search of this friend, and one of his neighbors directed me to his upstairs home. (I remembered having seen this neighbor many times before but had not spoken to him; I had heard he was a Christian.)

After I finished my errand this Christian man spoke to me very kindly and gave me a tract, "A Faithful Friend." Since I was short of money he gave me two rupees for bus fare.

While traveling in the bus I read the tract, and for the first time I attended the Christian service in Madras. I had read many religious books, but I found that there is none like the Bible that touches the heart of man. I was impressed by the verse, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Soon after that I got a job, but one day when I went to work I was shocked to hear that my service was terminated. I was very troubled about the loss of my job and went to my Christian friend for consolation. He prayed for me, gave me a New Testament and told me to read Matt. 11:28:

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This verse helped me to regain courage and I was relieved of my worries.

When I went the next day to receive my salary, I was surprised that my boss wanted me to resume work again. My joy knew no bounds. Immediately I went to my Christian friend to give him the glad news, and his response was: "Nothing is impossible with God!"

Day by day as I read God's Word I realized more and more what a great sinner I was. I confessed my belief that Jesus Christ had died to save me from the inevitable penalty for my sins. I put my trust in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior. Praise the Lord!

Sometimes my thoughts wander back to those days. What a wretched and miserable man I was! I wasted my precious time in riotous living. How true is the verse in the scriptures: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." Eccl. 12:1.

How great and merciful is our God who said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." He will forgive your transgressions and remember them no more.

Now I am working in a Christian bookstore in Madras. I hope and pray that everyone who reads my testimony will consider for a moment the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you made serious preparations for the life to come? The promise of Jesus Christ still holds good: "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24.

The “Challenger” Explodes

We think we are used to tragedies. Daily, hourly, we read and hear of car wrecks, plane crashes, disasters and explosions. Buy rarely do we see the tragedy itself; only the report of what has happened reaches most of us. We seldom see more pictures of wrecked cars or ruined buildings.

The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger was different. Millions of people felt as though it had happened before their very eyes. As a clinical psychologist said, “What we saw was the moment of death.

It reminded us of our fragileness and it numbed everybody.”

“Fragile.” Yes, that is the right word. Man was created “in the image of God.” He was given “dominion... over all the earth.” And God gave man the intelligence to build tremendous machines that go out into space: circling the earth, exploring the moon, probing the far reaches of our planetary system. Are there any limits to what man can do?

Well, the shuttle is one of the most powerful machines ever built but it cannot fly through the lightest rain because its heat insulation tiles are so fragile.” Fragile. That word again.

Isaiah the prophet said this: "Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever."

If we are like "grass" we may well realize our "fragileness." Today we may mourn our neighbor's tragedy; tomorrow could well be our turn, but "The word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1 Peter 1:25.

What is the "gospel"?

"It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1:16.

Believe what?

Why, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. It is one of God's sure promises. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.

The heat shield of the Challenger was fragile. The human beings inside were fragile. But the fragile human being who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ can say, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth." Psa. 28:7.

Fragile, yes. Mortal, yes. But—"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." John 3:36. "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." John 17:3. Everlasting life, life eternal—"even life forevermore"! What a prospect for the fragile mortal who believes in Him and receives that freely-offered gift: "The gift of God... eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

A Footstool in Heaven?

My mother was born in a small town in Germany. As a child she was brought up in the popular religion of the country, which impressed upon her the fact that she was a sinner.

Often as a child, Mother would pray, "Lord, make me Your footstool in heaven but don't cast me down to hell."

She always longed for a real sense of peace, but the years went by and she did not find it. In her twenties, she was invited by a school friend to move to America. She got a job as a stewardess on an ocean liner, and soon found herself in Boston.

Still the search in her heart went on. Crossing the ocean had not changed her, nor did her marriage, nor yet another move to California to live. She continued to pray, "Lord, make me Your footstool in heaven!" Still she was conscious of a dreadful fear that He might reject her at the last.

One day Mother was hanging out clothes and singing in German. Her surprised neighbor called to Mother in German, and a warm friendship was begun. As they talked, the neighbor said, "We're Christians, and if you would like to come over and read the Bible with us we'd sure like that."

Soon the Bible study with her neighbors grew to be a vital part of Mother's life. But one day as they were sitting around the table with the Bible open, Mother shut the Book hard and said, "It's no use to go on. I'm such a sinner."

The neighbor replied, "How wonderful!"

Mother exclaimed, "How can you say that? If you only knew how I suffer!"

Then how happy her Christian neighbor was to tell her again of the One who has finished the work of salvation for sinners and now says, "Come."

This was what Mother was looking for; this was the answer to her halfway-around-the-world search. She was ready to go on her knees that afternoon and accept the Lord Jesus as her Savior. But—a friend came by and said, "Come with us for a little drive."

Taken by surprise, Mother went. As she sat in the car she just groaned in her heart and prayed, "Lord, please bring me home in safety so that I can have the opportunity once again to come to You and be saved."

The Lord did bring her home again, and she wasted no time before she came to the Lord Jesus and knew that He had received her. The search was ended; there was peace in her heart—and she prayed no more to be a footstool in heaven. She had learned that "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12. Not a footstool, but a child of God at home in the Father's house was to be her portion forever.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." Rom. 8:16, 17.

Death Valley

In southeastern California there is a low, desolate, desert region, noted for its terrible heat, named Death Valley. This name was given to this section by the survivors of a group of "forty-niners" who went to California in 1849 searching for gold.

The group of gold-seekers wandered into the valley and named it "Death Valley" in grim memory of their terrible sufferings from thirst, hunger, and intense heat. Out of the group of thirty, only twelve survived.

Death Valley is over 130 miles long and 20 miles wide, and is the lowest point in the United States. The second-highest point, Mount Whitney, is less than one hundred miles away. At the extreme northwest end of the valley stands "Last Chance Canyon."

What a picture this desolate valley is of this world in which we live! All around and within us, we see sorrow, trouble and death—all the results of sin.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.

However, if we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we can say with the Psalmist, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." Psa. 23:4.

The poor men who perished in Death Valley so many years ago were searching for gold, but found death instead. So, dear friend, if you are seeking riches and happiness in this poor world, let me tell you that true riches, happiness and joy, are only found in Christ.

"The world has nothing new to give,
It has no true, no pure delight.
Look now to Jesus Christ and live!
Thou wouldst be saved, why not tonight?"

As Mount Whitney is not far from Death Valley, so the path to life, happiness and glory through the Lord Jesus Christ is near, for He has said:

"The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:8, 9.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." Psa. 145:18.

The name "Last Chance Canyon" might well remind us that this may be your very last opportunity to be saved. Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior now. Tomorrow may be too late.

"Tomorrow's sun may never rise
To bless thy long-deluded sight;
This is the time; oh, then, be wise;
Thou wouldst be saved, why not tonight?"

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

Mary

Mary was twelve years old, and her friend who was a little older asked her to go to Sunday School with her. She went a few times and heard the gospel in the story of the Philippian jailor who asked "What must I do to be saved?"

Her friend kept asking Mary to trust Jesus to be her Savior, but Mary always answered, "I'll think about it later."

Then Mary's friend moved away, and Mary tried to forget what she had heard. But God kept the words in her mind: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

Then one day trouble came and Mary needed help. "Oh, what shall I do? What must I do?"

Suddenly like a light being turned on, Mary knew what to do, for all the verse came clear in her mind: "What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31.

It was as simple as that!

Soon after this, Mary met the father of her old friend and sent the happy message: "Tell her that the Lord sent the trouble so I would believe, and now Mother believes too!"

What must you do to be saved?

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.

"Believe in God."

“I believe in God.” Yes... but... let me ask you, are you a Christian? Let me emphasize further, do you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know that your sins are forgiven?

My dear friend, can you say "yes" to all the above? Have you ever been approached with questions like these? Perhaps you were able to say without hesitation: "I believe in God." And to add to that you mentioned that you are a member of "that nice church on the corner that everybody admires."

Or maybe you said, "I believe in God, but I don't have to go to church."

If either of these answers is yours, may I with love for your soul and knowing God's far greater love for you, give you this verse? "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19.

It says, "thou doest well." But notice too that the devils believe, and... they tremble! What awaits these demons? Why would they tremble? Look at Matthew's gospel, chapter 25, verse 41: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," How very solemn!

Hell is not only a place where the devil and his angels will be, but it is also the destination of all those who have rejected the greatest gift that was ever given: God's only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself warned of the awful fate that awaits not only the devil but all those who "professed" but never knew the reality of being born again.

Many say that they do this thing or that thing, and acknowledge "God," or even the name of Jesus, but do they—do you—know Him as your own personal Savior? Are your sins washed away in His own precious blood?

You "do well" to believe in God. That's fine. But what about the record that God has given to man concerning His Son? "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:35, 36.

How wonderful it is to know your sins forgiven because of the finished work of Christ on the cross God Himself came down and became a man and bore the sins of all who would put their trust in Him. Why do you wait? Come now, trust in Him, and you will say with gladness, "Thou art the God of my salvation." Psa. 25:5.

An Empty Tomb

In one of the villages in northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. There is naturally a good deal of discussion after such meetings, for India is a land of culture.

A Mohammedan came up and said, "You must admit that we Mohammedans have one thing that you Christians have not. We at least can take our people to Medina where they can see the mosque which contains the remains of Mohammed, but when you Christians go to Jerusalem you have no remains. You have an empty tomb."

To this the missionary replied, "Praise God, you are right! That is the difference between our faith and yours. Your leader is in the grave, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindreds and tribes is not in any grave. He is risen!

"And He says from the resurrection side of an empty tomb, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.' Matt. 28:18. Our risen Lord is our ever-living Savior. And His promise is, 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' John 14:19."

You ask, "Did Christ really live?" That is one thing that all agree upon—that this Person who claimed to be the Son of God really lived here on earth among men.

We know when He lived—from about 4 B.C. until around 29 A.D.

We know where He was born—in Bethlehem of Judea, a real town, not a mythological one. We know where He lived for most of the years of His life—in Nazareth in northern Galilee. There He worked as a carpenter.

We know many of the characters of His day—their names appear in other historical writings outside of the Bible: Herod the Great, his son Herod, Agrippa, Salome, Pontius Pilate, Tiberius Caesar, Gamaliel, Felix, and Festus.

Every history of the ancient world, every encyclopedia, records the fact Jesus lived during the first century of our era. H. G. Wells, the historian, had a contempt, indeed a hatred, for almost every article of the Christian faith, but he was compelled to give pages to Jesus of Nazareth in his Outline of History.

The dates of history are now designated by the letters B.C. or A.D., both of which refer to the time of the birth of CHRIST—not Plato, not Julius Caesar, not Mohammed.

Millions in each generation have had their lives gripped and changed by the firm belief that Christ has given the world the most perfect revelation of God, the only gospel that does deliver men from the power of sin, the only assurance of forgiveness of sins, the only positive hope of life to come.

Christ has done more to lift and empower the ethical standards of men than all the philosophers of Greece combined. Among all the great men of history, He "is above all." "That in all things He might have the preeminence." Col. 1:18.

JESUS CHRIST LIVED! And now "He ever liveth to make intercession for them" who believe on Him. Heb. 7:25.

"What am I to believe?" A lady once wrote to a servant of Christ: "Will you put it down in black and white what I am to believe? I have been told of many different verses, and they are so many that I am bewildered. Please tell me one verse, and I will try to believe it."

The answer came: "It is not any one verse, nor any number of verses that save the soul. It is by trusting the Person and work of the Lord Jesus that we are saved." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

He Took My Place

John Coutts, an ungodly sea captain, lay dying in his cabin in mid-ocean. He felt helpless and alone, and shrank back as the dread of eternity seemed to close in upon him. Calling the first mate he asked: "Williams, can't you get down on your knees and pray for me? You know I've led a wicked life, and I'm afraid this is the end!"

But the first mate was not a praying man, and said he just couldn't do it, though he surely would if he could. The captain then called for the second mate, and in a frantic voice pleaded, "Ask God to have mercy on my soul!"

"I wish I could, Captain," he replied, "but I've never prayed in my life."

"Then see if somebody on board has a Bible," the captain pleaded. "See if somebody can read the Bible to me!" They searched the ship for someone who could pray, or at least had a Bible. They were about to give up the search, when a sailor said that he had seen the cook's boy reading a book that looked like a Bible.

The first mate located the cook's boy, Willie Platt, in the galley. He admitted, rather timidly, that he had a Bible. "Then take it, my boy," said the mate, "and go to the captain's cabin. He wants you."

As Willie entered the cabin, the captain lay still, the pallor of death already upon his face. Seeing the boy, he rallied and cried out, "Is that a Bible, my boy?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Then sit down, lad, and see if you can find something that will help me, for I'm afraid I'm going to die soon. See if you can find something about God having mercy on a sinner like me."

Willie wished he knew his Bible better. He could only think of one verse, one in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah that his mother used to read to him. He turned hopefully to this wonderful chapter which sets forth so fully God's love for poor sinners such as John Coutts, and started to read.

Reading slowly, he came to the fifth verse "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."

The poor captain listening now for his very life, realizing that this was his last chance to be saved, lifted his hand and said, "Stop! That sounds like it! Read that again."

"Captain," replied Willie, "my mother used to have me put my name in that verse. May I put it in now, and read it the way she taught me?"

"Certainly, sonny; put your name in, just where your mother told you and read it again." Reverently and slowly, the boy read it as follows:

"He—Jesus—was wounded for Willie Platt's transgressions, He was bruised for Willie Platt's iniquities: the chastisement of Willie Platt's peace was upon Him; and with His stripes Willie Platt is healed."

When he had finished he felt the captain's hand upon his arm. "My boy," he said, "put your captain's name in, and read it again. Put in John Coutts! John Coutts!"

Willie read again, very slowly: "He was wounded for John Coutts's transgressions, He was bruised for John Coutts's iniquities: the chastisement of John Coutts's peace was upon Him, and with His stripes John Coutts is healed."

The Captain lay back on his pillow and repeated over and over those precious words of Isa. 53:5, putting in his own name each time. The joy of heaven filled his soul as he laid hold by faith upon the Savior, seeing that the great work of the Lord Jesus on the cross was sufficient to pay for his sins.

Before he died he witnessed to every man on board that he was saved, for the "chastisement" which he so richly deserved had fallen upon Another. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8.

A Miracle of Grace

He took the guilty culprit's place;

He suffered in his stead.

For man, O miracle of grace!

For man the Savior died.

Plane Crashes

There have been so many plane crashes lately. Investigators are working overtime to pinpoint the cause of each: mechanical failure, pilot error, wind sheer, lightning, sabotage, metal fatigue. It is a long list, and in some cases it will take months and even years before they can announce their findings.

To the passengers who were on the wrecked planes, the cause of the crash is no longer important. What does matter is how well they were prepared to face the possibility of sudden death. At such a moment it is too late to "prepare to meet God."

One man, a Christian who survived a terrible crash, tells how horrified he was to see "people strapped into their seats, literally burning to death and cursing through it all."

Bert Hamilton, also a survivor of a plane crash (one of five who escaped alive from Air Florida Flight 90) concludes that, "however you live your life, when dying, that is how you're going to die. If you hadn't known Christ and hadn't made that commitment, you're not going to turn around (to God) in 30 seconds." That, he says, is the most important point.

"You never know when your plane crash is going to come, so you have to make that commitment now. You can't put it off,"

After every major crash there is a reaction of fear—a wholesome reaction, if it causes anyone to remember that "Now is the day of salvation," and that to postpone that decision for Christ can be fatal, forever fatal. It is as though God were saying to you, "Stop and think!"

On the other hand, the devil has a word to say too: "It can't happen to you!" In line with this reasoning, a state university's counseling center has released some advice: To get rid of a fear of flying, just stop thinking about it.

"If you're thinking about all those people going down on those planes, you need to stop and switch to thinking about images that are pleasant. Tell yourself it's very unlikely your plane will crash, and there are lots of safety features on the plane."

(And we thought the old theory of the ostrich hiding his head in the sand had been disproved!)

It is true that the plane will probably not crash; the chances are really small of any particular flight's meeting disaster; almost all plane passengers will safely arrive at their destination. But it is also true that "it is appointed unto men once to die... after this the judgment." Whether in a flaming crash of plane or car, or quietly in bed at home or in the hospital, it is an appointment that must be kept. "Thinking pleasant thoughts" will neither avert that end nor prepare for the judgment afterward. There will be no "escape, if we neglect so great salvation."

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." Isa. 55:6.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Tomorrow may be too late.

"Coming Tonight"

"How good it would be if He came tonight!"

Hearing these words, I looked up from the book I was reading. "If who came tonight?" I wondered. "Perhaps we are going to have a visitor," I thought, and my curiosity was aroused.

Listening further, I found out that my two friends were talking about Jesus Christ. Suddenly my mind said to me: "Oh, no! It would not be good if He came TONIGHT. I am not ready to meet Him."

I knew that Jesus was coming back again. And I knew that only those whose sins are forgiven would go to be with Him, and that those who were not ready would be left behind for judgment.

But "coming tonight!" Somehow I hadn't even considered that possibility. After thinking it over for a few moments, I turned again to the book I was reading. I could not concentrate, however, for in my ears were ringing the words: "Coming tonight, coming tonight."

I knew I was not converted, but I really meant to be—some day. But what if He comes tonight? I lay awake that night, unable to go to sleep for fear that Jesus might come and leave me behind.

In the room there was a Bible and finally I opened it and read: "He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5.

That night I applied that verse to myself, and I learned that Jesus died for me. I knelt there in the deep consciousness that I was in the presence of a holy God and that my only plea for salvation was Jesus and the cross of Calvary. Would He receive me? The precious words from Isaiah came into my mind: "I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." Isa. 43:1.

I did not doubt; I just BELIEVED GOD. Joy—such joy as I cannot describe, nor could you understand unless you have experienced it yourself—filled my heart. I wanted everybody to know that Jesus was my very own personal Savior.

Jesus is coming soon, but God in love and tender mercy is waiting for YOU to come to Him and trust Him now. Not tonight! Not tomorrow! But now!

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

The Amazing Power of Magnets

The first magnets were stones discovered in an ancient country of Asia Minor, called Magnesia. The terms magnet and magnetism come from Magnesia. The stones were a type of iron ore called magnetite. Men were puzzled by the way these stones attracted metal. In ancient times, many persons believed magnets were magic stones.

Hundreds of years later men learned that one end of a piece of magnetite was attracted by the earth's North Pole, and the other end was attracted by the South Pole. When the stone was hung from a string, it turned until it was pointing north and south.

This important discovery made possible the invention of the compass. Now sailors could tell which direction they were sailing, even in a storm when they could not see the stars.

In 1600, Dr. William Gilbert showed that the earth itself was one huge magnet, and attracted the ends of the magnetic needle of the compass. No one is exactly certain what causes magnetism, but most scientists believe that it is caused by the way the molecules in the magnet are arranged.

This explains one of the ways a magnet is made. Hold a short iron bar with one end pointing north and the other end pointing south. Touch the north end to the ground in a slant, and strike the south end with a hammer. The bar at once becomes a magnet. The molecules are jarred out of position, and arrange themselves along the earth's line of force.

A scientist was once asked what he considered the most remarkable fact in nature. Without a moment's hesitation he replied: "The most remarkable thing that I know of is the change that takes place in a piece of soft iron when an electric current is passed through it." He then told us the following story.

"Some time ago a party of men were boring a trial shaft for a coal mine. A boring tool broke far down below the surface. The broken parts prevented any further work and they had to be removed before the work could continue. They tried every known device but were unable to get the broken pieces out, and it seemed as if the project would have to be abandoned and a new shaft located elsewhere.

"An electrician hearing this, suggested they might try passing an electric current through a specially shaped piece of iron, and lower it down until it touched the fragments in the shaft. This was done, and as soon as contact was made, the newly charged magnet and the broken tools were so strongly attracted to each other that when the magnet was drawn up, the broken parts were also brought up with it, and the work of sinking the shaft was soon resumed."

What was the secret of this power? This was accomplished without the least apparent change in the iron. Its weight, size, and shape remained the same, and yet there must have been a mighty change somewhere! It had come in contact with a new source of energy from the outside.

But a power far greater than this exists. How much greater must that power be which has the ability to turn a drunkard into a sober and law-abiding citizen, a liar into a lover of truth, a thief into an honest worker for others, a rebel as regards God into a lover of His Son, a blasphemer into a worshiper of God, and a sinner into a heaven-bound saint?

By the powerful touch of the Spirit of God a soul that is born again has these and other transforming miracles wrought within him. He becomes conscious first of his unfitness for heaven by reason of his sins. He then turns to the Savior of sinners, and quickly learns His readiness to pardon, His willingness to bless, and above all, His ability to save a sinner.

So Christ now becomes the center of his joy and happiness, a constant source of satisfaction. God's love now fills his heart, and the God he so dreaded he now adores. He now knows the "love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:19), and "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." Phil. 4:7.

Your sins will be forgiven; peace with a holy God will be made yours; your eternal happiness will be secured, and power to please God and to resist the devil will be imparted to you. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31. "Come unto Me... I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.

Water Snow Frost

God's bounty never stops at man's mere needs. He has given an overflowing abundance, beyond our power to ask or think.

Nature demands plenty of water; God supplies it in full measure—clouds, dew, rain, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, frost, snow, ice, glaciers. Not only does God answer our need for water, but He adds infinite variety and beauty.

"Great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth.... By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened." Job 37:5, 6, 10.

"He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth His ice like morsels." Psa. 147:16, 17.

To the woman at the well the Lord Jesus offered "living water.... a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:10, 14.

Realizing our need is the first step. Recognizing the Lord Jesus as the only One who can meet our need is the next. Then, when we receive by faith His eternal bounty, what added blessings are ours! "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32.

Me

Johnny had been given a tract. He read haltingly: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"Who-so-ever, whosoever," repeated Johnny.

"Yes, whosoever means anybody who wants to believe."

"You mean `me'?"

"Yes. God loves you. His Son died for you on the cross. Here it is in Gal. 2:20: 'The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.' "

"Me—me. He loved me. He gave Himself for me." There was a silence. "Whosoever believeth in Him— me. Lord, I believe."

There was silence for a moment. Then Johnny's friend began a prayer of thanksgiving which Johnny ended with: "Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me and dying for me."

Have you ever realized that "whosoever" means "me"?

A Moment to Remember

I was in Viet Nam, back in the late sixties, with the First Infantry Division and many times we came face to face with death. Once I was in a machine gun bunker with two other soldiers. Inside our bunker was a cot for one man to sleep on while the other two kept watch, a 30 caliber machine gun and a telephone which connected us to the command post. There was no door; you entered the bunker through an opening on the back side.

The officer in charge of the guard was not to come out to the bunkers unless he first called to inform us. One night while we were gazing out into total darkness, talking to one another, I heard a footstep behind us! Someone was outside our bunker!

At that moment I felt I was a dead man; the Viet Cong had slipped in behind us! I swung my own rifle around to shoot, but it jammed! And it was not the Viet Cong at all but the officer of the guard. He had come out to check our guard post but had neglected to call us first.

In remembering that night, two scriptures come to my mind: "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Heb. 2:3. That officer's neglect almost cost him his life. For you to neglect so great salvation, offered through the finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross, will cost you your soul.

The other scripture is found in Amos 4:12: "Prepare to meet thy God." At the time of that incident I was not prepared to meet God. I did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. Had that footstep really been that of a Viet Cong instead of the officer, I would not be here now to tell of it. In that moment of decision, in what seemed the face of death, God was far from my thoughts.

I tell you this story to warn you if you are among those who have neglected "so great salvation." Don't put off for another moment which is so vital.

That incident in Viet Nam happened twenty years ago and I still remember it as if it happened yesterday. The Word of God tells us that when we leave this world we'll take our memory with us. Where will you be? Will you be remembering in a lost eternity the gospel you rejected? Don't let that happen. Come to Christ before it is forever too late. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.

If He Should Come Tonight

Two sisters shared a home in a small town near a big city; one lived for Christ, the other for the world.

One night the Christian girl went to hear a lecture on the coming of the Lord. On her return she told her sister what she had heard, and then told her the feeling that went through her.

"I felt like this: I thought if He would come tonight what a fearful thing it would be for you. I should be taken up to be forever with the Lord, and you would be left behind for judgment. I could not bear to think of it!" Her sister made no reply.

They slept in the same bed, and in the night the Christian lay awake, thinking, "If the Lord should come, oh, my poor sister!"

At last, unable to bear the dreadful thought any longer, she got up quietly and stole to a corner of the room. There she knelt down and poured out her soul in silent prayer to God.

Presently the other girl awoke. She felt for her sister, but her sister was not there. Not knowing what had happened, and in sudden agony of mind, she thought to herself, "Can it be that the Lord has come?" She got up immediately, and in almost a frenzy searched about the dark room until she found her sister still on her knees. She knelt beside her, and before she arose, she, too, trusted in Jesus and was ready to meet Him.

Friend, are you ready?

Christ is coming, oh, be ready!

Let not slumber dull your eyes;

Do not say, "My Lord delayeth."

He is coming, oh, be wise.

The Mindless Stream

People are sometimes afraid to become Christians because they fear they will not be able to "live up to it" —they "can't hold out." One man was on the point of receiving Christ as his Savior when the devil raised his old objection: "If you accept that today, you won't be able to keep it. What about tomorrow?"

A friend who was with him pointed to the big water wheel on a picturesque old mill nearby. "What turns the wheel today?"

"The stream."

"What will turn the wheel tomorrow?"

"The stream."

"And the days after?"

"The stream."

The fearful one was then led to see that there is in Christ abundant grace to save and to keep and to meet all need.

"He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Heb. 7:25.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day and forever." Heb. 13:8.

"I will trust, and not be afraid." Isa. 12:2.

No Resurrection?

In Germany there lived a countess of the House of Hanover. She was a noted unbeliever, especially opposed to the teaching of resurrection and eternal life. This descendant of royalty died when about thirty years old.

Before she passed away she gave written orders that her grave should be covered with a solid granite slab, that around it should be fitted square blocks of stone, and that the corners should be fastened to each other and to the granite slab by heavy iron clamps. Upon the granite covering she ordered this inscription to be placed:

"THIS BURIAL PLACE, PURCHASED FOR ALL ETERNITY, MUST NEVER BE OPENED."

All that human power could do to seal that grave was done.

Years later a little birch tree seed, long hidden in the earth, sprouted! As the root grew and strengthened, the green shoot sought the light. It found its way between the side stone and the upper slab and grew there.

Slowly and steadily it swelled with life and forced its way upward until the iron clamps were torn apart. The granite lid gradually lifted and is now resting upon the trunk of the birch tree, which is large and flourishing.

Man will be just as impotent in resisting the power of God in resurrection as he now is in trying to escape His decree of death.

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28,29.

One Man was here—only one—who had the power of death in His own hands: Jesus, the Sop of God. He alone could say of His life: "No man taketh it from Me.... I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." John 10:18.

Who else can use language like that? Who, among the mightiest of earth's monarchs, can dispute God's right to say to him, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee"? And when once that decree has gone forth, who can reverse the sentence?

Do you still deny God? Are you determined to hold fast to your unbelief? In the solemn day of your own death it will be too late for you to seek the light. For you it will be the blackness of darkness forever.

I plead with you to turn to Him now in faith while it is TODAY. Then with all His own who have believed in the Son, the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, you will find rest for your soul, and the blessing of being able to say:

"Our times are in Thy hand,
Father, we wish them there;
Our life, our soul, our all, we leave
Entirely to Thy care."

What Rs Wrong?

A patient went to see his doctor, and after telling him of all his aches and pains, said, "Now, doctor, you have treated me long enough with your good-for-nothing pills. They don't reach the problem. I wish you would find the real cause of my ailment."

"All right," said the doctor, and lifting his cane he smashed the bottle of whiskey the man had brought in with him.

This was not what the patient expected, and at first it made him very angry. His pride had kept him from accepting the fact that his alcoholism was the root of his problem.

Have you ever wondered "Why?" "What is wrong?" Have you hungered and longed for something better? The efforts made to better your condition, the "pills" taken to correct the problem have not done any good. Again, "What is wrong?"

Open the Book of God if you wish an answer to the question. The Bible will be just as faithful as the doctor was, in revealing that the heart is full of sin and is the root of the problem. Don't be too proud to admit it.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Jer. 17:9.

"Your iniquities have separated between you and your God." Isa. 59:2.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.

These are plain words, and what is more, they are true. Sin is the root of man's problems. Our social system is not the basic problem, as some think, nor lack of education, nor poor living conditions, as others think; it is SIN.

Now you and I will never be right or happy until this sin question is settled. There is only one who can settle it. His name is Jesus.

"Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." Matt. 1:21.

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Peter 3:18.

His resurrection from the dead was proof that settlement had been made. The work of salvation was complete, finished. If you would get the benefit of it, you must trust the One who made it.

"What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30,31.

He will never refuse you, for "him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37.

If you come, these are His words to you: "Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." Matt. 9:2.

Grounded!

What a stark contrast the three-masted schooner was against the beautiful white beach. The skies were clear and blue, the sea was calm and blue around her, but there she sat. As I drove closer I wondered why. She was larger than the sailing boats that frequent the area, and therefore needed deeper water than these shallows could afford. So this majestic sailing ship, one that could rule deep and turbulent seas, was GROUNDED!

Even a mile away she was impressive, and how beautiful she would be under full sail slicing through deep water as if she owned sea and wind. But here she ship was—grounded and partially buried in four feet of white sand.

The effects of a hurricane had driven this fine sailing vessel ashore. Her crew had put out from harbor on the advice of the coast guard. It is customary for larger vessels to do this when fierce storms approach harbors, for fear of damage both to the moored ships and the piers alongside. So the crew thought to ride it out during the storm, but instead were driven in. This ship was designed to sail, not to be buried in the sand, but there she sat, listing slightly, beautiful but sad.

How much more sad it is to see a human life grounded. Man is lost, lost in sin, and thoroughly grounded in it. He is trapped, no matter how outwardly beautiful and serene his life may be.

Romans, chapter 3 and verse 23, tells us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

A man's life is before him as an open sea and, it would seem, endless horizons stretch before him full of vast opportunities. But the storms of life come to all, and many, many precious souls are swept into eternity.

The Lord Jesus Christ said of the devil that he is one that would come only "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." John 10:10. But in that same chapter the Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

Dear friend, in its present position that ship can do nothing for itself. The crew can do nothing. Not even normal tidal flow will do it. Another source must be used.

Likewise man can do nothing to save himself from hell. The yawning pit lies open to every Christ-rejecting soul. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save a soul from hell.

What a Savior He is! He shed His own precious blood on Calvary's cross for you. Can you, will you, acknowledge that you are a sinner in the sight of a holy God? Can you say in your heart, "I am lost, and I need a Savior?" The Lord Jesus will respond to your request, because the Son of man (Jesus) came "to seek and to save that which was lost." Come now and come now and "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.

The ship can be salvaged, but at a cost of thousands of dollars! Special equipment will be used, and it will be expensive. That ship needs outside help.

Do you see, my friend, that you too need outside help? Unlike the boat, the price has already been paid for your soul if you believe on Him who died and rose again. "The blood of Jesus Christ... cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.

When you have accepted Him as your own personal Savior, then what joy, what peace, what eternal happiness await you in the presence of the One who loves you!

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20.

"Read It to Me Again"

I had just laid down one night, past midnight, to get a little rest, when a man came and told me that a wounded soldier wanted to see me. I went to see the dying man.

"How can I be saved? I want you to show me how to die," he said.

"I would help you to die if I could," I said. "I would take you on my shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of God if I could, but I cannot. I can tell you, though, of One who can."

So I told him of Christ who was willing to save him, and how Christ left heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. I just quoted promise after promise, but it didn't help, and it seemed eternal death was facing his soul.

I could not leave him, and at last I thought of the third chapter of John, and I said to him: "Look here, I am going to read to you now a conversation that Christ had with a man that went to Him when he was in your state of mind."

Every word seemed to be going to his heart, which was open to receive the truth. When I came to verses 14 and 15 where it says: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life," the dying man said, "Stop, Sir; is that there?"

"Yes, it is all here."

"Won't you please read it to me again?" he begged. I read it the second time. The dying man brought his hands together, and he said, "Thank God for that. Won't you please read it to me again?"

I read through the whole chapter, but long before the end of it he had closed his eyes. He seemed to lose all interest in the rest of the chapter, and when I got through it his arms were folded on his breast; he had a sweet smile on his face, and remorse and despair had fled away.

His lips were quivering, and when I leaned over him I heard him faintly whisper, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

He then opened his eyes and, with a calm look, said, "Oh, that is enough; that is all I want!" He pillowed his dying head upon the truth of these two verses, and in a few hours he was in the presence of His Savior.

May God help every lost one to "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" John 1:29.

Over the Edge

The storm had been raging for two days and already close to twenty-four inches of rain had flooded the Caribbean island. Roads were blocked, streets flooded, houses tilted on their foundations and ruin was everywhere.

As the car crept slowly along through the downpour, Mr. Gonzalez peered anxiously at the road ahead. He was following the taillights of the car in front, and he assumed that as long as that car got through, he could too. Suddenly, as the car in front started across a bridge, the taillights disappeared. Mr. Gonzalez braked quickly and got out to investigate. To his horror, he found that the middle span of the bridge had washed away and that the car ahead of him had plunged into thirty feet of muddy water.

Quickly turning his car sideways to block the road, he got out and stood by the car waving his arms and shouting as he saw another car approaching. To his dismay, the oncoming car refused to stop. Apparently fearing an ambush, the driver gunned his motor, swerved around the barricade and plunged into the river.

Mr. Gonzalez could hardly believe his eyes, but more headlights were approaching through the downpour. Once more he tried to avert disaster. Flailing his arms wildly and yelling, "Stop!" at the top of his voice, he had to watch in agony as, once more, the oncoming vehicle swerved around the barricade and catapulted into the river.

Time after time it happened. The warning was given and the warning was ignored. Before the authorities could erect a suitable barricade and totally block the bridge, twenty-nine people had swerved around the blockade and plunged to their deaths.

What a disaster! Why wouldn't they stop? Perhaps they were in a hurry. Perhaps they were afraid. Whatever the reason, they ignored the warning and died as a result.

Are you doing the same thing? God has been speaking to you and warning you of judgment to come. He tells you that, "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), and that, "All have sinned." Rom. 3:23. Have you stopped and recognized that warning and acknowledged the danger you are in? Or are you swerving around the barricade and heading toward certain judgment?

Again God warns you: "Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." Job 36:18. Have you stopped at that barricade?

The consequences of ignoring God's warnings are tremendous. If you refuse to pay attention to His warnings, your destiny will be far worse than death by drowning in a flood-swollen river. Your soul will end up for eternity enduring the wrath of God in the lake of fire.

Don't refuse to listen to God's warnings. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for you. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Won't you pay attention to the warnings and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior now?

The Greatest Gift

What would the greater gift be? Would you say jewelry? A big check? A yacht? An estate? An of well? None of these can compare with the gift of life itself. Ask Donna Ashlock!

Donna seemed a normal healthy teenager. But Donna's heart was diseased and failing, and the doctor: told her that she could no live much longer without a new heart And where could they find a donor? Who could give a heart? We really have only one heart!

Felipe, a friend from school, heard of her condition. It is reported that he said, "I am going to die, and I want Donna to have my heart." Three weeks later he did die, and there was a living, healthy heart for Donna.

What a gift that was for Donna! Literally, the gift of life. But would Felipe have said, "I'm going to die, and I want my heart to go to that big boy down the street who always tried to beat me up. Or to the one who stole my lunch money? I want my heart to go to my worst enemy!"

Not likely!

But we have been offered the gift of life; we have been offered new hearts; there is One who died that we might live, and—were we His friends? "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:8, 6.

"No man of great love can boast
Than for his friend to die.
Thou for Thine enemies wast slain,
What love with Thine can vie?"

In all time and eternity, there can be no greater gift than this. "Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins." Gal. 1:3, 4. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

We have been given not just life, but everlasting life. Donna's new heart was still only a human heart. With care, with anti-rejection drugs, with frequent checkups, it could give her years of life. But no matter how long she may live, one day her heart is going to stop beating. One day, in the normal manner of hearts, it will falter and quiver and quit. Not so the life we receive when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He says: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:28.

Donna, recovering in the hospital, prepared a little message of gratitude and appreciation for the great gift that had been given her. If you have received that greatest of all gifts—that ultimate gift—have you ever thanked the Giver? Donna will never forget the boy whose death gave her life. Have you forgotten the One who died for you?

Sinners, it was not to angels

All this wondrous love was given,

But to one who scorned, despised Him,

Scorned and hated Christ in heaven!

I have seen the face of Jesus—

Tell me not of else beside;

I have heard the voice of Jesus—

All my soul is satisfied.

”And I Refused!"

Felix Mendelssohn, the great master of music, was born in Germany in 1801. As a young man his talents won him worldwide fame.

One afternoon, being in Frieberg, he wandered, unnoticed and unknown, into its ancient cathedral where he had heard there was a rare, old pipe organ. Finding the old man in charge, he humbly asked permission to play it. But the old man stoutly refused.

He said, "No! Strangers are not allowed to play my organ."

The young musician, however, persisted, and spoke so long and lovingly of the organ, and pleaded so fervently, that the old man consented to let him play, but only for a few minutes.

Seating himself at the instrument and sweeping his fingers across the keys, the musician began to play. Instantly the old organ responded to the master's touch. It seemed to thrill with new life, as there burst from its pipes such a glorious rhapsody as it had never before produced.

As if the great cathedral could not contain all the melody, the music rolled out through the open doors and windows into the streets, while the townsfolk stopped to listen and wonder.

When the short performance ended, the old man, with tears streaming from his eyes, laid two trembling hands on the musician's shoulders and demanded:

"Wonderful, man! Who are you?"

Hearing the name "Mendelssohn," he drew back in fear and astonishment. "Mendelssohn! And I refused to allow you to play my organ!"

May this story remind us that a heavenly Stranger stands at the heart's door waiting to be admitted... to fill that heart with such heavenly joy and song as it has never known before. His name is Jesus. Have you let Him in?

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." John 7:37.

?Open Thou Mine Eyes?

"What are you reading?" demanded a university student of a girl of sixteen.

"God's Book, the Bible," she replied.

"Then do you believe there is a God?" asked the young man.

"Is it possible that you don't believe it?" she answered.

"I used to believe it," he said, "but after living in Paris and studying science and philosophy, I learned it is all a mistake. There is no God."

"I was never in Paris," replied the girl, "and never studied those important things which you speak of. But since you are so educated, may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly; ask as many as you please."

"You say there is no God. Now suppose I were holding an egg, could you tell me where it came from?"

"What a funny question! Of course the egg comes from the hen."

"And which then existed first, the egg or the hen?"

"I really don't know what you mean by this question. I suppose, of course, the hen existed first."

"Well, that must have been a hen that did not come from an egg. Can you tell where that hen came from?"

"I beg your pardon, young lady, I was mistaken. Of course the egg existed first."

"Then that must have been an egg that did not come from a hen. Where did that egg come from?"

The student became excited and said, "What's the use of asking questions such as these?"

"The use is this," said the girl. "If the first hen did not come from an egg as other hens do, then Somebody must have made the hen; that Somebody must be God. If you cannot explain how the first egg existed without God, can you explain how the world existed without God?"

That is a question which all the atheists in the world cannot answer. The young man having nothing further to say, departed.

God had opened the eyes of the teenage believer to see what the young man with all his education could not see. This is the sight we all need and should earnestly desire.

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Psa. 14:1.

"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3.

Is Your Name Written … ?

Names are important. When we are first born, the doctor asks for our name for our birth certificate. Strangers ask, "What is your name?" At school our work papers are identified by our names.

Is your name the same as someone else's? Usually a middle name will prevent trouble, but one boy really had a problem. His name was Nate Williams, and he had no middle name. Everyone thought Nate stood as a nickname for Nathan.

When he entered the armed services, he found there was also a Nathan Williams in his company. Too, he had a superior officer who refused to recognize "Nate," and gave orders to "Nathan Williams." The other Nathan didn't mind relaying a disliked duty to Nate—"the other Nathan." Nate was finally transferred to another company. How thankful he was!

But Nate knew one place where his name was never confused with anyone else's. "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20. Nate had trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, and he knew his name was written in heaven.

Is your name written there?

"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15.

Desperation

Patrick Dennison was the twelfth son. Eleven brothers had given their lives to service for England, and Patrick, the twelfth, was a doctor in the British Navy.

As he was leaving an English port one time, a lady in a wheelchair gave him a tract. He glanced at it with a muttered curse but stuck it in his pocket. Later in curiosity he read it and learned that "the wages of sin is death."

How he wished he hadn't read that tract! Patrick tried for years to forget it, but couldn't. He tried to drown the memory in drink, but only became a drunkard. One night he became so desperate he called a friend and told him he was going to kill himself.

The friend rushed to him and arrived as he pulled out the gun. He struck Patrick such a blow that he ended up in the hospital. As Patrick recovered, he saw a Bible on the table by his bed. He hunted for that striking passage in Rom. 6:23: "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life."

In weakness and despair, Patrick tumbled from the bed to kneel and pray: "Lord, I'm a sinner. If you'll forgive my sin and take this curse of drink from me, I'll do whatever You want."

The Lord took him at his word, and Patrick became a faithful gospel preacher.

Out of His Mouth

The lecturer was making some amusing remarks as he attempted to prove that there was no God, and his audience applauded heartily. Confident that he had won their attention and their sympathy, he grew bolder and bolder, and at last threw the meeting open for discussion.

Immediately a man stepped forward, and, facing the audience, told how he had once watched from a river's bank a boat borne down the current towards a dangerous rapid. In the boat was a man, struggling to make the shore. All his efforts failing, frantically he threw down the oars and cried to God for mercy. And even as he cried, the boat caught between two rocks. On the very brink of death, the occupant was saved, and with the aid of ropes, he was brought safely to land.

"And that," concluded the speaker, pointing to the infidel lecturer, "was the man who is now before you attempting to prove there is neither God, nor eternity; neither judgment to come, nor the need of salvation."

There was a breathless silence as the lecturer left the platform hurriedly. Nor was the silence broken as the audience slowly dispersed. Out of his own mouth the pretended infidel was proved false!

In the hour of his need he realized he needed someone outside of himself. In his extremity he turned to the living God, the only One who could help him, and God answered his cry.

God was faithful; He answered his cry for mercy. What about his soul, which lives forever? Is it to be left to be swept over the falls into an endless eternity, lost, and lost forever?

Oh, be warned. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27. "Jesus saith I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6.

A Completely New Life

His old friends were trying to turn him back to his old life. "All right, boys," he said, "go on, say all you want to, make all the fun of me you want, but I have tried it now for over six months.

"Taverns do not get my money now; I have a clear head, a clear eye, and a happy heart, all because I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior."

"These words spake Jesus... and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves." John 17:1, 13.

Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.

Echoes of Grace: 1985

Table of Contents

Little Girl Lost

The Immeasurability of Creation

Weather Report

The High-Water Mark

You Need a New Heart

Come!

Who Made It?

Walls

"All That Believe"

He Loves You

God's Blessed Man

Are You Thirsty?

The Clown

Fire Alarm

Fullness of Joy

"I Thought I Was Dead"

Can We Know?

The Cat's "Meow"

Prayer

What Can You Believe?

Slow of Heart to Believe

No God?

Is There a Hell?

Leonardo and the Birds

Deaf Ears "Having Ears, Hear Ye Not?"

What the Bible's All About

San Francisco's Earthquake

The Only Solution

A Father's Plea

The Corporal

Have I Christ?

Full Confidence

"Man, I Am Sorry for You!"

What Is Heaven?

You Can Be Saved

A Present Possession

Why People Don't Read the Bible

You Can Be Saved..

400 Million Dollars

Who Is This Man?

God Is Satisfied

The Storm

When and Where

Keruba the Bandit

Which Thief?

Grandpa's Sale

Happy New Year

Two Songs

True Peace

Where Are Your Sins?

"I Don't Know Where I'm Going"

The Book and the Blood

He Satisfies

The Great Cover-Up

"Get My Mother In!"

This Very Moment

Barney's 100Th Birthday

One Step Too Many

Conversion of a Hindu

The “Challenger” Explodes

A Footstool in Heaven?

Death Valley

Mary

"Believe in God."

An Empty Tomb

He Took My Place

A Miracle of Grace

Plane Crashes

"Coming Tonight"

The Amazing Power of Magnets

Water Snow Frost

Me

A Moment to Remember

If He Should Come Tonight

The Mindless Stream

No Resurrection?

What Rs Wrong?

Grounded!